Too Little, Too Late
by Death Can't Be Trusted
Summary: What if Kenny had instead taken Levi under his wing in his profession of assassin? This is what happens when an assassination gone wrong changes a cold young man's life around while he struggles to fit in with the Survey Corp. He then falls for Commander Erwin. Now that he has something precious in his grasp, can he keep a strong hold of it?
1. Captured

Death: I don't know why I'm torturing myself. Guess I'm a masochist.

 **Chapter One** Captured

=3=

The night was calm, which was considered odd when the sky was cluttered with dark clouds. It was the calm before the storm. And tonight was eerily quiet. It was so quiet and still the air itself would explode in this tension that was about to snap.

High on the rooftops, studying the area, was a hooded figure. The figure, though lacking in height, held enough intimidation to have well trained veterans in the Survey Corp shaking in their boots. And as he kept in the shadows, sharp eyes examined the house he was to break into without notice of the unicorn military uniforms playing bodyguard.

 _As if my job wasn't as hard enough._

He had the layout of the house memorized. He knew exactly which room where his target was, and which rooms to avoid breaking into, whether they were occupied with family of servant, it didn't matter. The point was, he knew which windows to avoid. But the sentries keeping diligent guard of the house complicated matters, for he hadn't been informed of the extra protection.

 _Should I call this off? This smells like a trap._

He had been debating this obstacle for the past ten minutes. The air was cold, and it was seeping in through his layers of clothing. He had already figured out the pattern of the guards, even found possible windows to enter the house. So, why was he hesitating?

 _If I'm this disturbed, then I shouldn't bother tonight. Kenny always said never to ignore my instincts._

Even so, he knew that tonight was the only chance to strike. In the coming dawn, he wouldn't ever able to touch the target for some time. And all of the observation put into this mission would be for nothing. The time to do the job had to be tonight, otherwise he would soon face Kenny's gun for his failure.

And so, even as everything screamed at him not to go along with the plan, he launched into the air. Too much time, effort, and money went into this mission. He can't afford to return with his tail between his legs because a minor change happened. And, hopefully, he wasn't misinformed on the purpose of a trap.

With graceful ease, he reached a target window. Even the soft sound of the gear strapped to either side of him didn't draw any attention of the guard below. His boots didn't even announce his arrival from years of practice, and quickly he slipped in through the window he carefully pried open.

And, just as he predicted, this was an empty guest room. So far his plan was solid. He hoped it would remain that way. With great care he stepped into the hallway, his breathing calm while his heart beat fast from adrenaline. This was the one true thing he was addicted to. The thrill of the hunt just before the kill.

Thus far he found no guards patrolling inside the house. This he found strange. What was the point of protection outside and no one inside? His heart hammered in his chest, every cell in his body ready to flee where he had come in.

 _I have come too far to abort. I'm almost at the target bedroom._

He only needed to make a left and his target should be three doors down on the right. With caution he peered around the corner to view the adjoined hallway. There was no guard outside the door.

Despite how trained he was, and no matter how many countless times he had done this, his breathing quickened. This was not normal. This was all too easy. Too open for him to finish the job without a problem. Never in his life had he done a job where his target had guards outside the house but not inside, or not in front of the bedroom for that matter.

Then his ears picked up a foreign sound that made his heart stop.

Someone was awake, waiting for him to make his move down the targeted hallway. This was enough warning for him to turn tail. With silent ease he stepped away from the target to slink back to the room he used to break in. With his eyes trained on the hallway they were to trap him, he didn't turn around to see another figure behind him.

 _Creak._

Immediately he sprung into action. He whirled around with a swing of his blade. His attack was blocked by another blade, but the force of his attack nearly knocked the figure back. Taking his chance the assassin made a sweep kick to take the taller figure down. He had to get out before the scuffle drew attention.

Too late.

With a flash of lightning another figure ran up behind him. Suddenly there was the sound of a dozen pair of boots coming from every direction. In another flash of lightning he expected to see the blue unicorn, but instead he saw the wings of freedom.

Now was the time to panic.

In blurring speed no normal eye could follow, he began cutting down anyone who stood in his way as he zip lined to the nearest exit. Soon he found nearly every door was locked, and he was forced to run back to the room he had used before as his escape route. He didn't care how dirty his clothes were becoming, or the stains that were to be a result. He didn't even care for the blood splatter on his face when someone aimed at his neck with their blade.

He turned down the familiar hallway, almost at the room to escape. The door he had used he left slightly ajar, so he didn't have to bother with the handle as he pushed his way through. And from the door to the window he covered with a leap, aiming a kick to break the glass.

The sound of shattered glass seemed to echo through the night, shattering the world around the house. Without even looking he made a flip and aimed his gear at the nearest building across the street to pull him away from the house that had been set up as his trap.

He heard them follow with their own devices. This did not settle his heart rate, for he knew no matter how great he was in the air, he was in their territory where they reined supreme. These people were trained to kill titans after all.

However, he was a trained assassin. Trained under the best, perhaps even surpassed the best, his mentor.

 _If I can't escape, I'll take as many down with me. I'll give them reason to kill me._

From day one of his training he had been told that, if captured, it would be better to be killed than be under the enemies hands. That didn't mean go out like a pussy and kill himself. No, he was to go out with a bang.

He had used a variety of tricks up his sleeve to lose them, and for the majority he had. However, there were a few stubborn fools that have thus far managed to keep up with him. No doubt these were seasoned veterans with the way they moved and calculated his movements.

He had almost reached Wall Sina when he found himself cornered. One of the figures he couldn't shake off had suddenly intercepted his path, the two collided in midair. He attempted to use his gear to pull himself away, but the collision made both of the wires jammed. The taller man also had similar issues, for one of the wires got caught and they were sent falling twenty feet.

Their hoods came off, their heads now soaked in the harsh rain. All he saw was a flash of blond hair before the wire that had been caught had jammed, stopping their fall seven feet above the ground. He felt a strong arm wrap around his middle and the two jerked at the sudden stop, groaning.

They swung for a few seconds, all the while he struggled to free himself from the tight hold. Unfortunately during the fall he had lost grip of his blades, and despite his strength he couldn't make that arm budge. With quick thinking he reached for a blade inside his jacket and in a flash the sharp edge was at the other man's throat.

He paused as soon as they locked eyes. It took him a moment to realize that the man was his target. He could slit the man's throat right here and now, it was better to finish the job while he was taken down. It would be one of those killings that would go down in history that he took down his target while being killed. That was the highest honor for an assassin.

And yet he couldn't move.

Those eyes held him, staring right through him. He was frozen, despite all the training Kenny put him through, he couldn't tear himself away from those eyes. There was something about them that commanded his very presence not to finish the job he had been assigned.

Another crack of lightning and the strong arm let him go. He was so entranced he didn't have time to brace himself for the landing other than to curl into a tiny ball. Then his body met something that stretched as it broke his fall. He hit the ground with a soft thud, and then the material closed around him. Peeking though his arms that shielded his face, he realized they had him in a net.

"Commander Erwin! Are you all right, sir?" Someone landed a few feet away, just close enough for him to reach.

"Stay back, he's got a knife." His target warned, intense blue eyes never strayed from the assassin.

In an instant he had lunged at the nearest figure with the knife, but all he could manage was scrape a leg before someone else pinned him down. He struggled for a few seconds. But his struggle was proved to be useless when several blades meant for titans were pointed at him from all directions.

His body went stiff at the realization that not only had he failed his mission, he had been captured. Tears welled at the corner of his eyes, and he was grateful for the rain to hide them. He could not show them any weaknesses.

"What do you intend to do, Commander? He's not worth the dirt under my shoe." The one he had slashed on the leg earlier spoke with disdain.

"I say we kill him. He took too many of us down. This was a waste of effort for the sacrifices made to capture him. He's no better than a Titan. No, he's _worse_ , he's a _monster_." The one who had him pinned down grabbed his hair. That was all the warning he got before his head was lifted only to be slammed down hard into the mud.

He coughed as the wet dirt choked him, mud sputtered everywhere as he struggled to breathe. Normally he would be disgusted by having such filth touching his skin, but that didn't matter as he awaited on what the commander of the Survey Corp had in store for him.

"He will not be killed. We will be taking him in as our prisoner. Now let's get a move on, he will be coming with us to the new headquarters."

He strained to see the commander, eyes observed for any sign of what they were to do to him. He was also feeling curious as to why they would keep him alive. Looking into his history beforehand, Commander Erwin wasn't into torture. But he was an opportunist, with great strategies to decrease the amount of deaths in the field.

On paper, the man seemed easy to read like an open book. In person, the man was a lot more interesting.

"Isn't that a bad idea, commander? I mean, we also have the other monster that is to arrive tomorrow morning."

 _They're taking me under custody with their Titan pet? Why? What use do I pose?_

"He has to remain alive. And, before we load him into a carriage, search him thoroughly. Assassins carry more than one method of killing." Upon saying that, Erwin met the assassin's gaze.

"Don't touch me." He hissed when hands began to explore. He had such venom in his voice that both pairs of hands drew away.

"Tch. Think you're in any position to be making demands, hot shot? I don't think so!" Someone kicked him in the ribs with all their strength. The assassin didn't even grunt in pain.

"That's enough, Auruo." Erwin stepped forward, then to everyone's surprise he kneeled beside the assassin, eyes locked in a heated gaze. "What do you have in mind?"

"Are you insane commander!?"

"You can't trust him! He's an assassin! He killed so many of us without regret tonight."

"Don't get too close commander…"

He ignored the useless chatter around him. Instead his focus remained on the man he couldn't kill. He tried to see what the man was attempting to do out of this. This man was displaying trust to him. Was it a test?

"If I show a caged animal some form of trust, then that same trust will be given in return. It's up to him, however, if this trust can be beneficial or not." Erwin explained to everyone.

"…If I tell you where the knives are, you are the only person to take them. I don't like being touched by filthy scum." He knew it was a long shot, but he had to take it. He ignored the angry outbursts of everyone around them.

His eyes focused on the commander, silently pleading. If he had to lay his trust in this man who put faith in someone like him, then so be it. As long as he was being treated with respect. That was all that mattered to him at this point.

"Fine, I accept your terms. Now, where are the knives? And please tell me whether or not you have any poisons."

The assassin released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. His body went limp with defeat, muscles relaxed.

"Poison is not my forte. I do however carry a small bottle that once consumed, imitates death. Instead it just slows down the heart just enough to play dead, but also remain alive. That is in my jacket, right side."

He didn't understand why he gave away his secret escape so easily. That vial was never to be known to anyone else but him. It was a last ditch effort in means of escape should the need arise. It was one Kenny made him swear never to reveal to the enemy under any circumstance.

Erwin reached for the bottle, pulling out a tiny thing with clear liquid inside. It was barely enough for a small mouthful. With everyone staring, aghast at the trust being displayed before them. From there the assassin told Erwin exactly where all of his knives were hidden. Included was his personal favorite, one he affectionately called Talon.

When Erwin held that one up, the assassin bit his lip, unsure.

"You seem nervous. Why?" A different voice piped up, noting his behavior. The person was out f his peripheral vision, except for a brief second he caught sight of brown hair and glasses.

"That was a gift. I don't care what you do to the rest, but please keep that one safe." He said as the commander examined the slightly curved blade with interest. The material was well made, and definitely not cheap. If anything this was the blade that was better quality than all the rest.

"I'll be sure this remains in good hands. Is that all of them?" Erwin put Talon in his pocket.

"There's no more, that was the last of my knives."

With a nod, the commander stood up.

"Blindfold him, and tie him up. Make sure to take turns watching him as we travel. I don't want any slip ups. Just because he's unarmed doesn't mean he still can't kill."

=3=

Death: I know, it's a little short for my style of first chapter. So, what do you think? Please leave a review, this story popped up on a whim and without planning.


	2. The Offer on the Table

Death: Well, here goes nothing. Apparently people like this more than _Nightmare of the Fallen_.

 **Chapter Two** The Offer on the Table

=3=

The night had been dull and uneventful in the travel. The assassin was blindfolded, hands tied behind his back, and pretty sure there were four to five people watching him in the cramped carriage. The rain had stopped just before dawn, and apparently they were close to their destination.

At first they tried to get a rile out of him. However they quickly learned that he would not budge from their antics. He was not going to show them any weakness, or a means to mess with him. It was better for his safety that he made them think he was dangerous, despite the restraints.

 _Kill them. They deserve it for capturing me._

No, he reasoned. There were too many of them. He had no means of killing them, and to top it off he had no idea where he was. And for whatever insane reason he decided to place his trust in the very man he was supposed to kill hours before.

Kenny will definitely be disappointed when he finds out.

And for some strange reason, he knew the Survey Corp wasn't enough to protect him from his mentor. Despite how many strategies Erwin could perform, Kenny will still find a way to get to him. It all depended on whether he was having a good or bad day on the amount of bodies it would take to reach him.

Just as he felt the rays of the sun touch his clothes, the carriage stopped. He heard the other carriages stop, and the commotion of people going about. He had focused on what was going on with outside his carriage that he shrank away from the hand that touched his shoulder. He wasn't used to contact that wasn't harsh, so the hand that was trying to be comforting was foreign and strange.

"Easy there, I was just checking if you were awake. I get the feeling you wouldn't like being carried." A familiar voice spoke softly. It took him a moment to remember the voice belonged to the one with brown hair and glasses he saw briefly.

"So, do you need help or…"

"No, thanks." Was all he said before he gracefully jumped out of the carriage, his legs wobbled upon landing. They had traveled without breaks, so his legs had been forced to remain folded to his chest for however long this trip had been.

Apparently he had startled some of the scouts, and he couldn't help but smile coyly at their reactions.

"What the hell is so funny, shorty?" One man stepped closer, not quite intruding his personal space.

"You lot act like children, it's no wonder the gay unicorns hate you." His coy smirk turned into a frown when the man came closer. He could feel the man's breath on his face, the faint disturbance of uniform against his clothes.

"What'd you say? I dare you insult us one more time!"

"Auruo, enough. Stop trying to act all tough to intimidate him. It's not going to work." A female voice that wasn't Glasses spoke up.

 _Finally someone else with sense._

"Stay out of this, Petra! This piece of shit excuse of a human needs to be taught a lesson he won't soon forget!"

Sensing the man was about to strike, he leapt to the side. Even when the man, Auruo, had missed, he moved for another punch. Having enough the assassin dodged again, this time sending out a sweep kick to his attackers leg. He felt satisfied at the sound of a thud and grunt that followed.

"How did you…!"

"First several years of training was with a blindfold. So if you idiots think I'm handicapped, you're wrong." He internally cursed at himself for giving away such information, and even more so as all it did was anger them more.

"So, shitty glasses, are you showing me the way or not?" His mind latched on to the one person he could name among these idiots that will help him.

Anger transformed into surprise. As far as they were concerned, he had never seen who he had described. He could smell the fear penetrating the air. He heard someone step out of the carriage he had been inside of for hours.

"Yes! Yes I shall! Do you mind if I ask you some questions on the way? You're so interesting! I could almost give up studying titans and Eren to study you, but I can make time for all three!" The one ally he had, although hyper, was gentle when locking one arm around his as means to guide him.

 _Why am I always attracting the hyper crazies?_ His mind briefly thought about Isabel, and felt a pang of guilt from memories he would rather forget.

They heard another carriage draw up, this one wasn't among the group that had arrived some minutes before. His guide had stopped, awaiting for whoever was inside to step out. This must be the carriage with the Titan pet they had been talking about.

"Hey, Mike! How's Eren doing?" Glasses inquired with concern.

"Good. Kid is still awake." The man said, seemingly surprised about that fact.

"Want to walk together with Eren, then? We're basically heading the same direction."

Without answering the man stepped down, and following after was another person. By the sound of the landing, this was a young man. If only he didn't have the blasted blindfold so he could see the one who can become a Titan.

"Who's that? I wasn't aware you guys were down to taking prisoners."

 _Damn the kid sounds young. Just how old is he?_ He couldn't guess more than seventeen.

"I'm an assassin, kid. They caught me last night. Now it looks like we're both going to be pets to the Survey Corp."

"Hey! I'm no one's pet! I'm here to help the war against titans. At least I can be of some help to the Survey Corp."

 _Damn, he's loud. And feisty._

"Tch. Whatever you say, kid. Believe whatever fantasies you have, but this is reality. You and I aren't much different, they're going to use us like tools. After all, we're nothing but _monsters_ to them." He spat, suddenly hating the kid for being so naïve.

"That's not true! And stop calling me kid! How old are you, short stuff?"

He didn't want to do this to the kid, but he had to make a point of no one messing with him about his height. In a flash he twirled around full circle for a high kick to what he guessed was the kid's head. His boot met arms raised to block, and the sound of handcuffs caught his ear. Then he felt hands wrap around his ankle in a tight grip.

 _So they give him the decency of having arms. How annoying._

"Oi, brat, you can let go of my leg."

"How did you guess my height? You're blindfolded!" Eren was suddenly curious with the challenge the little spite was presenting.

"Don't underestimate assassins, brat. Now let go of my leg!"

"Guys, can we please calm down?" Glasses attempted to diffuse the situation, and failing poorly.

"He started it, Hange!"

"Nice try, but don't start putting the blame on everyone but you. All I did was speak truth, and you overreact." Decided to take matters into his own hands, he pulled his trapped leg closer to his body, effectively pulling the younger man closer to him.

"Whoa!"

Catching the kid by surprise he was able to push the kid back with his trapped leg. Now free of the Titan shifter, the assassin stepped closer to Glasses, who he finally had a name for the face. He may not be able to see at the moment, but he already wanted nothing to do with the Survey Corp's other pet.

"Are we going anytime or not? I've had enough of this shit."

"Sure, but…Eren is going to be next to your cell in the dungeon." Glasses seemed hesitant after the display.

"I can handle him better after I've had some sleep. And maybe tea, but I doubt you guys even have any."

"Hey, can I at least get a name? I don't want to say 'hey you', or 'short stuff' all the time. Name's Eren, just to start."

He stopped, unsure if it was the curiosity in that voice, or because he would rather inform a good portion of the populace he's going to be living with than one person spreading it around. What also bugged him was that the kid didn't have any animosity towards him despite what transpired a minute before.

"My name is Levi."

=3=

He learned a great deal within a couple of days. All of them were unsure how to interact with him, and overall left him alone. It felt awkward when he realized these people treated Eren better than him, especially when he found the kid annoying. Another odd thing was Erwin.

The man couldn't be here for a few days, as he was bringing in the new recruits himself. But his orders revolving around him were puzzling. Apparently, if he was decent in behavior, then they could remove the restraints that held his hands behind his back. Hange had the honors of doing so, since no one else wanted to be anywhere near him.

Because of that action Levi stuck himself to Hange. He felt uncomfortable around everyone else, although they were crazy, they had his respect. In a way Hange became his first friend despite being a prisoner. Perhaps it was because they didn't see him as everyone else did, or they didn't care.

And on the day Erwin was to return with fresh recruits, Hange brought him outside for the first time. He figured another part of the commander's orders were that if he didn't act out after his arms were unbound, then he could have supervised walks.

He felt relieved to be outside of the dark and depressing dungeon. What would have made his experience better was if the kid wasn't with them. But Hange was also in charge of watching over the brat, so the three walked around inside the once abandoned castle before heading to the stables since Eren had his chores to take care of his horse.

"So, Levi, are you enjoying your first outing?" Hange teased, but was genuinely curious.

"Anything's better than that shitty dungeon." As they walked by a stall, a dark head reached out and gently nibbled his hair.

"Oi, that tickles. Don't do that." Levi lightly swatted the nose away, but the horse persisted and rubbed its nose against his hand.

"Awww, she likes you! Her name is Stella, her previous owner died in the last mission. Since then she's been depressed. This is the first time I've seen her interact with anyone like that." Hange watched as Levi scratched behind her ear.

Hange smiled knowingly as the assassin adored the horse. Then an idea sparked, one to bring up with Erwin later for approval, since these two were lonely souls in need of each other. But for now they would give them a little space and turned to the young Titan shifter. Eren was in the middle of feeding his horse a few stalls down.

"Hange, you're turning your back against him? Isn't that a little unwise?" Eren sent an unnerved look.

"I trust Stella to keep him occupied. I think they're in love." At the boy's reaction Hange giggled. "Not the kind you're thinking, darling. They're two lonely souls in need of comfort, I think Stella sensed his loneliness and reached out to him."

At that Eren stared at Levi interacting with the mare. In his mind, he saw an arrogant assassin that shouldn't be trusted. But in his heart, he saw that if even a horse could see a lonely human, then what's the difference? Confused he returned to his task at hand as means of a distraction. The moment he finished the new recruits arrived.

"Eren!" Two familiar voices chimed at the same time.

He turned and grinned at the sight of Mikasa and Armin. He almost pulled them into a hug, but stopped when he saw other familiar faces. Eren was a mix of surprise and confusion at the sight.

"Jean!? I thought you would be in the inner city by now. Why are you here?"

"I'm not here because of your little speech or anything." Jean crossed his arms. "I just want to know one thing: can you control it?"

"What?"

"Boy, you sure gotten dull and stupid already. And you were already stupid to begin with. I said, can you control your Titan form?"

"…To be honest? Not really." Eren looked down, as if defeated.

"Well then, I hope you learn soon. We all risked our lives by joining the Scouts. We're putting our faith in you, and you can't even control it. I'm not looking forward to the day you turn on us and we have to kill each other."

"I don't plan on killing anyone! I just want to kill titans. But I don't know how to practice when I can't transform."

A wave of shock swept through everyone around them. It was so intense Levi stared at the group with distaste. He had been enjoying the attention from a new friend, and the mood was ruined. He had overheard the entire conversation, and he didn't like where it was going.

"Then what's the point of us being here?"

"If you sad lot put so much faith in him for the future of humanity, then you can't just drop it because he has a few setbacks." Levi twitched when all eyes turned to him, he didn't know why he was getting involved but he was.

"Because if you're disappointed about how much time and effort it will take, then you shouldn't have put faith in him in the first place. And now you're stuck here, the chances of dying are high, and you can't blame anyone but yourselves."

"Oh yeah, then what do you believe?" Jean glared at him, thinking he was one of the Scouts.

"Honestly? All I see is a brat who needs a reality check, to stop moping around and actually do something about it. And you lot, should stop and reconsider your lives. You're stuck here, and you're blaming him? How childish of you, of all of you. You're all sad pathetic excuse for humanity."

"That's enough. I think they get the point. You didn't need to be so harsh, you know."

Startled, Levi nearly jumped at the sound of Erwin's voice. He didn't hear the man walk up behind him. Levi was always hyper aware of his surroundings, and for someone other than Kenny to walk up behind him undetected was startling. He had to rewind his mind not to perceive the man as an enemy, calming his heart rate.

"Might I suggest to never sneak up behind an assassin? You might earn yourself a death wish." Levi narrowed his eyes, still trying to calm his racing heart and mind.

"Wait, he's the assassin you warned us about?" One of the recruits looked from Erwin to Levi and back.

"Levi isn't that bad unless you're on his bad side. Then he's pissy for the rest of the day and takes it out on everyone else."

Steel grey caught bright green, once again surprised for the second time today. The brat acted like he hated his guts, and yet he spoke up for him against his own friends. Was it because of what he did earlier? Levi only did what he did out of spite at his childish these people were doing. It had nothing to do whether he could relate to the brat or not. Absolutely not.

"Now, if you would all excuse us, Levi and I have something important to discuss." Erwin began to walk, and the short man was quick to follow.

When they were safe from earshot, the commander gave him a strange look.

"Levi, huh? You didn't bother telling me your name, and yet you told Eren. Did something happen while I was gone?"

"Nothing special. We're both tools for you, a means to an end. So, if I'm a tool, what will you use me for?" Cold eyes stared at Erwin, almost as if he were seeing through him.

"That's a rather disturbing way to put it, Levi. Is that how you see the world, black and white?" The commander was skirting the subject, blue eyes that held the sky in them darkened.

"That's how I've been raised. And you're avoiding the question."

"I would much rather have this conversation in my office, away from prying ears. It's not too far of a walk."

"You trust me that easily to be alone with you in your office? What makes you think I won't kill you?"

At that Erwin _laughed_.

"Because, you're curious. You want to know what I'm planning, and whether or not it's worth sticking around to help me. I know you're fighting yourself, a part of you wants to go back the way the world was before your capture. Meanwhile, another part of you wants to stay to see how this plays out."

Levi stared, his face expressionless, allowing no hint what was going on inside his head. The only possible hint were his eyes, they were storming, unsure what to think of this man. He didn't know how the man guessed what was going on inside his head. Actually he didn't want to know.

"That might be accurate, but you have no idea how terrified I am if I actually decide to stick around. You have no idea the troubles of keeping me will cost you." Levi resisted the shivers at the thought of Kenny and his gang, the best team to wipe out a large number of people. While Kenny was considered the best, he still had his limits when he had to take out a group at once. Hence he created a gang of the best he could teach.

Levi would have been part of it, but he and his uncle knew he worked best solo. And it would have brought them problems, if any of the others were jealous of his position and saw competition.

"Those are risks I'm willing to take. I went through too much trouble to capture you."

"Tch. You sound like some love struck idiot in those stupid romance novels the nobles like to call literature." Levi didn't enjoy how the man executed his reason, especially when they had just arrived in the commander's office.

Levi twitched at the state of the office. It was cluttered, smelled musty, and everything was covered in dust. The only signs of the room being an office was the fresh piles of papers on the desk.

"Your office is horrible." Levi deadpanned, watching the commander sit in an old chair.

"I haven't had the chance to clean." Erwin defended with a sheepish grin, motioning for the other chair on the other side of the desk.

"I'd much rather stand. I'm not touching that." Levi glared at the offensive furniture with disgust. He had to force his will not to find something to clean the chair. If he started cleaning now he wouldn't stop until the whole office was done.

"So, you're probably wondering what I need your help for. While you pointed out that, yes, Eren would be a big step in the fight against titans. Especially once he fully learns how to control it. However, there will be obstacles in our way. The government, for example."

Levi stared in bewilderment.

 _He seriously can't be thinking what I think he is._

"At the moment, they're allowing us to do what we want to fight for humanity. However, I don't believe that will last. While I think Eren will be great to draw in more support, that alone won't be enough. I have a few theories, no solid evidence as of yet, but I believe that the government officials plan to get rid of the Survey Corp by killing off a few of us then disbanding, or killing all of us entirely."

"Are you paranoid or something? What makes you think they will kill an entire section of the army?" Levi couldn't disregard Erwin, but he couldn't agree either.

"I found a letter that had hints of the king planning to rid us from this world. However, I can only say that it hints, for the writer focused more on getting rid of Eren to keep him out of our hands."

"Okay, so you want me to dig up more evidence of this. I get that. But why capture me to help you with this? There's more to it, isn't there?" Levi was catching on that this was only the beginning.

"Yes, there is more. There's been rumors going around that a noble family has lost all heirs recently, except for a bastard child. That one child has been missing, and possibly joined the training recruits a few years back. And now the father is searching, but doesn't know which faction the child joined."

"What makes this family so special?"

"They're in relation to the king. If we can find this child, or young person, then we have a trump card against the government." Erwin stared at the assassin with all seriousness.

"And what do you plan to do?"

"Stage a coupe. Surely you should have seen that coming. But we can't do it ourselves, we have the Military Police to face. They're an obstacle I can't overlook. But if we enlist the help with General Pixies, we might stand a chance."

"What do you get out of this?"

"I get nothing but the freedom to keep fighting titans. Humanity has to expand at some point, and we need territory that we lost eight years ago. If the officials had it their way, we will never see that day."

"Then why go out of your way to capture me for this? Why not use one of your lackeys as your pawn to get information?" Levi was getting frustrated, he saw no point of him being here to help. This plan the man he was supposed to kill days before has a dangerous plan. If they were caught, it would be the end for anyone in or associated with the Survey Corp.

Levi may be a killer, but he had more class than that. He didn't want the safety of a thousand people within his hands. He would never be able to forgive himself. No amount of washing could rid his hands of their blood.

"For several reasons. I need someone with expertize, someone who knows their way around the officials. Someone who knows the government inside out. Someone who isn't afraid to get their hands dirty if need be. I know very well most of my soldiers wouldn't want to kill humans no matter what."

At that Levi felt his chest grow cold, chilled as if hell had frozen over. Very carefully, hiding all emotion from his face and voice when he spoke his last inquiry.

"What do I get in return of all this?"

"Freedom. You will be free from the life of an assassin. If you want, you can join the Survey Corp. Actually I encourage you to join, this way we have reason for keeping you here with us. But after this is a over and done with, you can choose what to do with your life from then on."

=3=

Death: I originally planned this to be a somewhat short story. I think I just made this so much more complicated and transformed into a longer story.

Please leave a review, the lot of you Shingeki no Kyojin are rude to favorite and not review. I enjoy the criticism and the encouragement.


	3. Between a Rock and a Hard Spot

Death: So many ideas to keep up with.

 **Chapter Three** Between a Rock and a Hard Spot

=3=

That same night Erwin presented his offer, Levi couldn't sleep. He had told the commander to give him some time to think it over, as he was unnerved at how tempting Erwin worded his bargain. And he couldn't quite get over how that, if he took a step back to examine all the facts, Erwin was only doing this to use him for his skills.

 _No matter what, all I'm good for is to be someone's tool. Now I have to decide which side to be used from._

It was a daunting dilemma.

On one hand, he could go back to the way things were. And hopefully without any trouble from Kenny for falling into a trap. On the other hand, he can experience freedom. He can be free of these strings the government had on him. He can be free of the blood that stained his hands. However, it would cost him greatly. It would cost him his uncle, the last family he had left.

On top of that, there was the concern whether or not they could really pull this off. And if things didn't to according to plan, then he would definitely end up dead. It didn't matter to the government that he's the nephew to Kenny, the one the top ranked assassin was raising to replace him someday. All they would see is a traitor that should be presented at the chopping block immediately.

"Why are you so down all the time?" The brat's voice interrupted the silence.

"Why are you so mopey all the time?" Levi hissed back.

"Jeez, you didn't have to get so defensive. I was just wondering why you've been so quiet since you had that talk with the commander. You hardly even touched your dinner." Eren pointed at the still mostly full plate.

"What, you suddenly care about me or something?"

"You know, you shouldn't take your irritation out on everyone. You're just going to push everyone away and before you know it, there's no one there for you."

"And so the brat graduated into a philosopher." Levi stared at the boy. "You stuck up for me earlier, why?"

"…Maybe because what you said a few days ago started to make sense." Eren ran a hand through his hair nervously.

"That we're nothing more than tools for the Survey Corp? That sunk in your head quicker than I thought it would." Levi was about to inquire what made Eren see what he saw, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

 _We don't get visitors after dinner…_

For a tense moment both prisoners stared into the darkness where the light of the torches couldn't illuminate. As a figure came forth and both of them sighed in relief to see a grinning Hange. One of them was flustered to be overly cautious, while the other felt like that grin wasn't a good sign.

"Why do I get a bad feeling about this?" Levi was the first one to speak.

"Oh, it's a good smile. I just talked it over with Erwin, and both of you get your own rooms soon. Oh, and Levi, starting tomorrow you get to take care of Stella. And someone will be visiting to get your measurements, I guess Erwin already called in for your uniform to be made."

"Wait, he's becoming one of us?"

At the sound of Eren's voice, the assassin snapped.

"Last I checked, I didn't give that man my answer. And he already thinks he can get me a uniform? Tell Erwin I don't want anything he offers. I don't give a damn anymore, I'm leaving. His pretty words and puppetry will have no effect on me." The venom in his voice surprised them, for they stared at him with horror.

"But…he wouldn't allow you to just leave. I don't want to see you as our prisoner anymore. And we could use someone like you in the field." Hange's voice was shaky, as if they were trying not to break down.

The hurt in his first friend in this hellhole cut deeper than any blade.

"Oh, that's a great idea. Enlist the help from an assassin to kill titans. You know, I may have never seen one in person, but I have heard they're nearly identical in biology to a human. So if you think about it, you and I aren't much different. Killing things is a fine job. But I bet you don't enjoy yours, do you?"

He was their prisoner. And for the first time he showed them his true colors. He was now a caged animal, one that had at first been compliant, but was now baring his fangs. His demeanor was threatening, and for the first time Hange and Eren were afraid of someone that wasn't a government official or pompous Wall religion freaks.

"Are you saying you enjoy what you do?" Hange saw hurt and despair hidden in his eyes, there was a hunch, and they were trying to follow it.

"I enjoy cutting open flesh. I enjoy the act of having someone's life in my hands, and ending their short pathetic lives to nothing. I get some sick pleasure from killing, yes, and if that makes me a monster, then ask yourselves something. What makes you pathetic soldiers any different than me?"

Although he wore a smirk that will forever haunt them, his eyes spoke volumes. He wasn't aware of the tears threatening to fall, the pain his eyes held in them from memories he tried so hard everyday to repress. He wasn't aware of his voice cracking, all he felt was his throat was raw and dry. Despite his pain, he revealed to them a different angle of their world.

 _What is the difference?_ Eren wondered, now feeling disturbed at the thought.

"Levi, I believe this form of life you've had before now was forced, wasn't it?"

"Drop it, shitty glasses. Before I start itching to slice your throat." The watery eyes were gone, as well as the hurt in his voice. His eyes and body language was nothing short of seriousness.

"Okay, okay. I will drop it. I'm no threat to you, Levi. I like to consider you my friend. I hope I didn't cross a boundary that stops you from seeing me as your friend, because I really want to help."

"You can help by leaving me alone right now, before there's anymore damage done." He turned away from Hange, not showing his back but not looking at them either.

"Will do. Let me warn both of you that Erwin will be visiting tomorrow morning. He's going to brief you guys what we're going to do tomorrow. I think he plans to continue our last experiment of Eren's Titan form, but I'm not sure. Anyway, night."

Just before Hange left, they hesitated. Looking over a shoulder for one last look at the assassin.

"Levi, to answer your question. There is a difference between us. We fight for humanity, while you diminish it. A life is a life, even if some disgusting human didn't deserve to exist."

And like that Hange left, leaving Levi to ponder those words.

=3=

Morning came too early. Levi hadn't slept a wink the night before, contemplating what had transpired. Hange's words replayed over and over in his head. With those words came memories of his past that he found questionable.

 _Me being an assassin wasn't my choice, but it wasn't forced either. Or is that considered forced?_

Levi knew nothing else in life than killing, fighting, and how to evade the Military Police. When the king needed someone out of the picture, it was up to him or Kenny to take care of the order. He never met the king himself, but he didn't doubt one bit that the orders came from no one else but the king. The targets were carefully strategic. And for most of them the orders said the killing had to look accidental.

And then there were the orders that captured their targets and tortured for information. In some sick way he enjoyed those missions more than anything else, especially if the target was to be killed afterwards. The idea of giving someone hope for surviving after handing over the needed information, then see the horror stricken faces when they realize that they would still be six feet under, sent thrilling chills down his spine.

He didn't lie when he confessed he enjoyed the act of killing. However, the guilt, shame, and nightmares never went away for him. No amount of washing his hands would rid them of his victims blood. Kenny told him that it eventually got easier, but for Levi, it never did. He didn't bother informing his uncle that little fact, and perhaps it was better that way. Kenny would see him as weak and pathetic.

 _Why do I care what he thinks? He's probably planning out how to kill me right now._

And for some reason, he wasn't terrified of the idea.

He snapped out of his recurring thoughts when he heard footsteps. His eyes narrowed at the sight of Erwin, his skin prickling when the man stood in front of his cell. Those eyes bore into him, and they were making him uncomfortable. It was always unnerving how Erwin was the only person other than Kenny that could do this to him. People _don't_ make him uncomfortable if he would allow it.

"I heard what happened last night. The offer is still on the table, if you're interested."

"You still believe I would change my mind after what I said last night?" Levi was confused, wondering what was going through that man's head.

"I believe in second chances. And I'm not one to give up just yet." Erwin shrugged, as if this was an everyday thing.

"Mmm…huh? Oh, morning, sir." Eren yawned as he sat up in his bed, rubbing an eye before stretching.

"Good morning, Eren. As Hange informed you last night, I'm here to brief you about today. We're moving both of you into your own rooms. And we are also continuing the experiment Hange started with you a few days ago."

"Okay, but what does Levi get to do today?"

"I was thinking after the experiment, we all enjoy an outing with our gears. I would like to have a better view of Levi in action."

"What, putting me into training or something? I don't believe I gave you my answer." Levi crossed his arms at the idea.

"No, just some fun with the gear. I know you need to distress, and I get the feeling you share the same need as most of us here."

"And what is that, if I may ask?"

"Flying."

That word sunk in, and Levi felt his heart leap. It didn't bother him that the man guessed what he enjoyed most in life other than killing. It was the fact the man was going to allow him to use the gear for the first time in days. He had been itching to be in the air again, but never made any mention of the need.

"I would however advise that you don't pull any tricks or attempts to finish the job you failed. I also encourage that you don't run away, either. But that doesn't mean I won't stop you from leaving."

"What!? But, sir…isn't that dangerous?" Eren stared wide eyed at the commander, now wide awake.

"I cannot keep a bird caged before it turns on us. Just like how I cannot limit its time flying. I can't stand by idling while someone is suffering internally, and won't trust any of us to help relieve the burden." With those last words Erwin sent a knowing look at the assassin.

At that moment Levi felt something. His chest hurt from those words, that look, and his stomach churned from guilt. He didn't understand this reaction his body had, and he was too exhausted mentally to process. He hated not knowing what was going on within his own body, it was worse on him than an entire room covered in years of dust.

 _Erwin Smith, Commander of the Survey Corp. What are you doing to me?_

That question stayed with him for the rest of the day. He did what he could to avoid Erwin for the most part. It was hard during breakfast when he and Eren were allowed to have breakfast with everyone else. The stares were unbearable, and oddly enough, he felt better when Eren stuck to his side despite what he said the night before. And with him, came along two others he remembered seeing the previous day.

One was a short boy with blond hair to his ears and baby blue eyes. Despite how obvious he was nervous being near him, the boy tried to hide it. Levi didn't think much of Armin, but he had to give the boy credit for trying to calm the tense air around them.

As for the other, he didn't mean to stare. She was almost familiar to him, but he couldn't for the life of him remember who she reminded him of. Her dark hair and calm demeanor reminded him of himself, but not at the same time. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind while he was more reserved. And to top it off, her eyes told him all he needed to know.

"Why are you staring?" Mikasa inquired, feeling a little unnerved, suddenly regretting sitting across from him.

"Nothing. It's just that you remind me of someone, but I can't remember." He hadn't meant to slip his thoughts out, but he caught sight of Erwin from the corner of his eye.

Passing off that his observation was nothing important, Levi focused on eating. He wasn't feeling hungry, but he knew he needed the nutrition if Erwin really was going to keep his promise. He then noticed someone was sitting next to him. Levi forced himself to remain calm when his eyes met intense blues.

"Hope you don't mind, but all the other tables are full." Erwin brought to his attention that indeed, all the other tables were full.

Not trusting his mind to respond Levi stuffed his mouth with food. He didn't care how bland it was, it was only an excuse not to speak at the moment. Erwin didn't seem to mind as he started on his own plate. Levi then felt all eyes on him, and he was sure the majority of them wanted to stab him for sitting next to their commander.

Never in his lifetime did it take so much effort to finish one plate of food.

He was so relieved when breakfast was over he almost vomited. Levi kept the food inside, ensuring to never show them weaknesses. He kept his mind busy with whatever tasks were given, from helping with dishes, feeding Stella her morning meal, and then getting her ready for a short ride out to the well Eren was to transform inside of.

If he were honest, he was quite curious to see this Titan form himself. He had heard stories, all of them varying. Hange warned him not to expect much, when there was little success in the last attempt. He heard how that one went down, how he couldn't transform until he reached for a spoon. Even then it had only been an arm that transformed, not his entire body.

"Okay, Eren! It's time to show everyone what you can do!" Hange couldn't contain their excitement.

"Umm…why is there a bigger crowd than last time?" Eren noted that all of the fresh recruits were here, alongside the commander and the last group that had been there the last attempt.

"Guess they wanted to see everything for themselves. Anyway! Stay focused, Eren! It's time to lower you in the well!" Hange was grinning from ear to ear.

And just like that the boy was lowered in the well. They all stood back a good distance away, and after a moment of silence Hange set off a flare. All of them waited, and they were met with silence. Cautiously Hange came to the edge of the well and peered down.

"You okay down there?"

"Yeah…I don't understand though. I still can't transform."

"Hange, call off the experiment. I don't think we can get it done today." Erwin made the call to end this.

"What makes him transform? We thought it was pain that was the factor, but I guess it's not." Someone from Hange's division pondered out loud.

"There has to be more than just pain. What was he doing the last few times he transformed?" Levi inquired, he wanted to know more facts before he proposed a theory.

"Well, the first time his life was in danger. He was swallowed, and thought to be dead. Then he transformed and started killing off titans in Trost. The second time, although it wasn't a full body Titan, was when a faction of the Wall Garrison tried to execute Eren and his two friends, Armin and Mikasa. Following that he was to transform, carry a large boulder to plug in the hole created from the Colossal Titan." Hange recounted the reports they had memorized.

"Do you have any insight about this, Levi?" Erwin could see there was an idea forming in the assassin's head.

"What's the varying factor in all of those situations? I don't think his life being in danger is the answer. Even though that played in two of those transformations." Levi also didn't feel like attacking the brat as much as he would like to. Too many people here would overreact.

"You know? I think it just hit me. He had a motive in each single situation. From saving his life, protection his friends, plugging the hole to reaching for the spoon. Despite the immense heat his Titan arm gave off, it didn't harm the spoon at all." Hange pulled out the object in question.

"It survived unscathed."

"So…I just have to give myself a reason to transform? That's the answer?" Eren seemed relieved and elated that he hadn't lost his ability.

"We have to test it out later. Maybe we can give you different situations to give you a motive to transform, like getting out of a sticky situation that will only resort to turning into a Titan." Hange began brainstorming.

"We can brainstorm later. Attention all of you. If you would like to practice your skills with the gear, follow me. If you wish not to come, follow Mike here and start your assigned chores." Erwin smiled cheekily when no one budged, eager to get out and about in their gear for the first time since Trost.

 _Or perhaps they want to see me in action. Wouldn't surprise me if they did._ Levi thought bitterly. He wasn't looking forward to perform in front of so many people. It was as if Erwin was making it harder for him to make his escape.

 _Is that the best you can do? I can get away from these greenhorns with ease. Just what are you planning?_

Levi found himself staring at the man. When their eyes met, those strange feelings from earlier came back. Quickly he looked away, locking the unknown raw emotions that wanted to come out. Once again he kept his mind busy by focusing on the task at hand, and before he knew it they were at the edge of a forest.

Everyone had their gears, and some immediately took to the air. Others rode in at full speed, preceding to launch from their galloping horses. When most of them had gone, Levi got off the dark mare and stared up at the trees.

He looked up at Erwin, and a different kind of emotion came through. Shaking off the overwhelming need to apologize, Levi took a deep breath and launched. He heard Erwin activate his own and followed after. Unsure what the man was planning, he didn't start off with any tricks or flips.

It didn't take long for Eren and his two shadows to find them. And with their careless elated energy spreading through the air around them, Levi started showing off. He did different kinds of flips and tricks out of play, and strangely, he found that he was enjoying himself. He felt as if he was dancing in the air, and he imagined wings sprouting from his shoulders as he flew above them.

 _I am flying. The silver lining of my job had always been the taste of freedom while in the air._

He wasn't aware of many pairs of eyes watching him with newfound admiration. For once he felt immune to the stares. As he continued his dance, he caught glimpses of smiles from Eren and Hange. That he expected, but what made his heart stop was when he caught sight of Erwin's expression.

The man was smiling as he watched the assassin enjoyed himself, and yet his eyes said otherwise. There was a mix of joy and sadness in those eyes that held the sky in them.

 _I know his plan now. He's showing me that this is the freedom I tasted when I was in the air as an assassin. He's showing me that it can be more than a taste, but a way of life. And damn it all, I think he snared me in his web of pretty words and ridiculous ideals. I was never the spider, but the fly here. He caught me._

 _He caught me._

Levi had been so caught up in the realization that he hadn't realized he was going too low until something caught his eye. He gasped, heart stopping, when a glint of a gun he knew all too well was the only warning he needed.

"Everyone, run!" Levi shouted at the top of his lungs. When some of them stopped to stare in confusion he went higher in the air.

"RUN BEFORE HE KILLS YOU, YOU SHITS!"

Shots rang in the air. That was all they needed before speeding off, darting this way and that to dodge. Levi didn't have time to see if anyone got hit, he was too focused on leading his uncle away from everyone else. He found a clearing and landed on the ground, heart pounding as he turned to face the man he feared to face.

"How noble of you, dear nephew." Kenny smirked as he landed, twirling his guns. He put one of them away while he kept the other out, reloading it. Levi immediately noticed the off color of the bullet.

"You took your sweet time to show up, uncle. I was beginning to think you would never come here." Levi held a brave face, wishing his gear had the blades.

 _He is stronger than me, and possibly still faster. He knows every trick in the book._ His mind raced on how to fight his mentor.

"You looked like you were enjoying yourself back there. So, tell me. Do I have to take you back by force, or are you going to be a good boy and volunteer?" Kenny cocked the gun, staring hard at his pupil.

"First, tell me if you came alone or not."

"You have no power here, I'm not telling you shit." Kenny spat, near growling at the sight of a few Survey Corp recruits land behind Levi.

"Stay out of this!" Levi snapped, not looking behind him when he heard three pairs of feet land.

"But Levi-!"

"I said stay out of this! Now do as I say and stay behind me! You have no idea what this man is capable of."

 _He came alone. If he had brought his gang with him, these idiots wouldn't have come. And I can't hear any signs of fighting nearby. Those people are noisy when they're taking down targets._

He wasn't sure to feel relieved or worried that Kenny came on his own. The man tilted his head curiously at one of the people behind him. Instinctively Levi raised his arms out in means to protect them as Kenny stepped closer.

"Come no further, uncle! I wish not to fight you." Levi snarled in warning. Behind him he heard gasps of surprise.

"That man is your uncle?" Armin spoke first.

 _Shit, I shouldn't have let that slip!_

"He is my uncle and my mentor, now shut your pie holes and let me do the talking!"

"Now, now, let's not get over excited here. I only came here to take back what is mine."

"I was never yours to use like a tool, uncle! Now leave."

At that Kenny laughed so hard his body shook from the force, head up in the air. Levi resisted the urge to lunge at the elder man. He knew exactly where his uncle hid his knives, he could simply lunge and reach for whatever which one he could get. However he had no means of disabling the guns, and Kenny was far better than him when if came to close combat.

"I knew you were noble. You've been hiding your true feelings for years, haven't you? Then suddenly you get captured by some idiots that believe in wiping out titans to be the answer for fixing this broken world, and you get a backbone! You honestly believe you can order me to leave you little shit?"

Kenny aimed, but didn't pull the trigger. Once again his eyes turned to one of the three people behind Levi.

"You look like an Ackerman. You remind me of this little shit's mother, who couldn't survive the Underground City. She killed herself, or starved to death, I can't remember the full details. Point is, she was weak and pathetic."

Something in Levi _snapped_.

In a flash he lunged at his uncle. Taken by surprise, Kenny dodged the fist that was aimed for his face. As the man was distracted Levi reached for one of the hidden knives and pulled it out. In an instant the two were caught up in their fight as other members of the Survey Corp surrounded them, keeping a safe distance. While Kenny had experience, Levi had the full blown emotional determination.

Kenny realized he would have to play a dirty trick, for he could barely keep up with his nephew's speed. He sweep kicked at the short legs. Levi attempted to dodge, but the foot caught his ankle. By the time he was up Kenny had already aimed his gun. Eyes trailed the line of aim and felt his insides freeze.

"I'm here to take my nephew back. But that's not all I'm here for. I'm here to finish the job he couldn't do."

In a split second two things happened at once. Kenny pulled the trigger, aiming for the commander. However, Levi had used his gear to launch in the air in between the bullet and Erwin. He felt it enter his shoulder, and though it wasn't a kill shot he immediately felt very sleepy and fell.

He felt arms catch his fall, his world dizzy and dark. He heard a voice speak before he slipped into unconsciousness.

"You little shit, you're my enemy now."

=3=

Death: I myself have no words to speak of for this.

Quick question: would you guys like to see Levi paired with someone in this story? Or keep it as it is? I am heavily leaning towards pairing, but I'm not sure if it can be well executed for this story. But I was thinking maybe I can do side stories of the pairing that can't quite fit in here.

Please leave a review and answer my question.


	4. To Belong

Death: So I'm decided. For now, there won't be pairings, but hints of a pairing and see how it goes. If people really want to see it happen, then I will do it. However, warning that most of the cute moments might be in side stories, as this is meant to be a dark fic.

 **Chapter Four** To Belong

=3=

Erwin gulped at the sight of Levi's limp body. His heart sunk to his stomach, and a part of him wanted to leap down from the safety of the trees to the ground. However, he rationalized that it would be a bad idea for the moment, as the older assassin was still down there.

But he wasn't the only one that had that impulse. Heart raced when quite a few landed on the ground, about to close in when Eren attacked, roaring as he ran. Out of reflex Kenny shot from his other gun, and in one instance Eren was running. In the next instance smoke and lightning filled the clearing, and as it cleared there Eren stood.

A fifteen meter Titan in all his glory.

Dark hair down past pointed ears, green eyes flashed with anger and intent to kill. The lithe and muscular body flexed as he released another roar, one that sent chills down every spine that was there. And even the assassin that feared nothing, couldn't move as he took in the sight before him.

 _Now is the time to do it. It's a gamble, but this man might see some sense._

Erwin swiftly landed behind Kenny, effectively stopping Eren from another attack. The assassin turned and grit his teeth at the sight of the commander. His hold on Levi tightened, as if afraid to lose him once again.

 _If Levi is an enemy to him now, then why is he being overprotective?_

"I will strike a deal. And you have the choice whether to take it or not. You leave him with us, and you will be free to go. However, if you attempt to kill me, you will have more than a Titan to deal with." Erwin's eyes never strayed from the cornered assassin as he motioned to everyone that surrounded them.

There was an intense moment of silence. The very air around them was choking as they waited for some sort of answer. Erwin stared hard into the other man's narrowed eyes, keeping his poker face perfect as the dangerous man glared death daggers at him.

Very slowly the man relented, putting his guns away. Still holding his nephew with one arm, he reached out a hand with an attempt to shake on it. Erwin cautiously accepted the hand shake, and felt the other hand tighten like a coiled snake.

"You got yourself a deal, Commander Erwin. But let me make myself clear. Say nothing in your reports on me or this little shit, you hear? If my job gets compromised because of you, you will meet a very bloody and messy death."

"Duly noted. I wasn't planning of writing about this anyways." Erwin struggled to keep his face stone cold.

"And one more thing. Levi is my pride and joy. I taught him everything he knows. If I find out you lot hurt him, or allowed him to die in your missions outside the walls, I swear here and now that I will wipe out the entire Survey Corp."

The threat in those hardened eyes were sincere. Despite their differences, Erwin understood where the man was coming from. And so he tightened his own hand, ensuring the assassin with his own strength that he will personally keep to that promise.

"I will do everything in my power to make sure nothing happens to him. You have my word on that."

"Tch. I'll hold you to that, Commander Erwin. Oh, and don't fret about his condition. The bullet was coated with Death Sleep Serum. It should wear off in the next forty-eight to seventy-four hours." And with that the assassin handed over his nephew.

With one last look at the unconscious form, Kenny turned and walked away. He never looked back as he used his gear and disappeared among the trees. As soon as he was gone a number of Scouts ran to Erwin, who was still holding the tiny form that protected him.

"The bleeding has already stopped, but the wound needs to be cleaned." Hange noted, checking for a pulse.

"Erwin, that was by far the most dangerous deal you have ever made." Mike glared, almost reprimanding. "But for fuck's sake, that was a good call. It could have ended a lot worse."

"I was trying to avoid anyone else getting hurt or worse, killed. Oh Hange, I need you to work on an antidote for the Death Sleep Serum. I still have the bottle I took from Levi, will that be enough for you to work with?"

"Is that what the serum is called?" Hange adjusted their glasses. "Well, it is a small bottle. I can give it a whirl. If need be I can take samples of his blood for a better understanding of how it works."

"Just work with the bottle. If that's not enough, then you can take samples. And please don't go overboard with studying his blood, I know you like to examine everyone's biology to find everything out about them."

"Aww, but sir! It's the best way to get to know a person!" Hange joked, even laughing at the act.

"Let's get back to base. Eren, do you need help out of there?" Erwin peered up at the Titan.

At the sight of him running a hand through his hair nervously was answer enough. With a nod the commander turned to Mikasa.

"I've read the reports of your performance of being precise in your cuts. Think you can get him out?"

"Of course, sir." Without another word she used her gear to guide herself into position. When everyone was clear out of the danger zone Mikasa made quick work of slicing open the neck.

The titan body slumped over, dead. Eren pulled himself out of the fast decaying body with ease as hot steam filled the air. His gear was damaged from the transformation, so he was among the small group that had to wait for horses brought to them.

As they waited he wouldn't leave Levi's side, concern and worry written all over his face. For some unknown reason Erwin felt overwhelmed with jealousy. He fought the urge to make the boy focus on something else, but he had no solid reason to distract Eren. To his displeasure Hange needed their help to keep track of Levi's condition.

"Any changes of his heart rate?" Hange inquired, never looking up from their work of cleaning the bullet wound with a clean cloth.

"No changes." Erwin was trying not to lose focus on how unbearably cold the assassin's skin felt, as he felt the very weak and nearly unnoticeable pulse. If he hadn't known of the Death Sleep Serum beforehand, he would have honestly believed Levi was dead.

"No changes in his breathing, either." Eren nibbled his lip. "Hange, is he going to be okay?"

"I believe he'll be fine. What I find curious is that he might be related to your sister." Hange peered over a shoulder to stare at a disgruntled Mikasa. "Think I can test your blood with his to confirm what his uncle said? He never met you, and he said your last name. Don't you find that curious?"

"To be honest, I don't know what to think. My parents never made any mention of other known family in the cities before they died. All I figured was that they were running away from something, since we lived so far from society." Mikasa also couldn't shake off the memory of earlier this morning.

" _Why are you staring?"_

" _Nothing. It's just you remind me of someone, but can't remember."_

" _You look like an Ackerman. You remind me of this little shit's mother, who couldn't survive the Underground City. She killed herself, or starved to death, I can't remember the full details. Point is, she was weak and pathetic."_

What the assassin said moments ago also disturbed her. It couldn't be a coincidence both of them recognized her as one of their own. Even if Levi couldn't quite pinpoint who she reminded him of, he still saw her as someone familiar when they never met until yesterday.

"Hange, don't push the issue. I don't want to hear you stole samples of her hair just to satisfy your curiosity. It might be better off for them to not find closure and leave it as a mystery." Erwin sent the scientist a stern look.

"Okay, okay. But don't get mad at me if they decide to find out for themselves." Hange made one last swipe of the wound before setting aside the cloth. They pulled out the bandage wraps.

"Okay sir, pull him up for me so I can wrap up his shoulder."

"You're not pulling the bullet out, Hange?" Eren grew concerned, watching as Erwin carefully pulled Levi upright just enough for them to wrap.

"Too deep to reach in and pull out. And I don't want to open him up and risk severing his nerves or blood vessels. At this point it's easier to make sure it doesn't get infected and hope he's not allergic to certain metals."

"And if he is allergic to certain metals?"

"Then we would have no choice but to open him up and retrieve it." Hange said matter of fact, as if it was a normal every day experience.

"Hange, stop freaking him out. I can tell you're enjoying this." Erwin could see the grin on their face that was hidden from Eren's view.

"But sir, I find this cute! Eren is so adorable, I can't help but mess with him! And I can't help but exploit his feelings, I think he's got a little crush."

"I do not! What the hell, Hange? I only see him as a friend!" Eren sputtered, cheeks flushed and eyes wide.

At the sight Edwin felt his chest tighten. He found he couldn't really look at Eren in the eye for the rest of the day, as he kept his eyes solely on Levi. When the wound was wrapped they buttoned up his shirt and vest. Just as they finished the group that was to retrieve the horses for them appeared through the trees.

"So does this mean he's one of us now?" Jean spoke for all of them, he could see the question lingering in their eyes, but they couldn't ask.

"He put his own life on the line to protect me. I think that speaks for an answer. And might I add that he lost something out of this. He lost his uncle. It's a lot harder than it looks to turn against your own family." Erwin could see the unease leave their faces as his words sunk in.

 _He risked his life and what little family he had left. All to protect me. What did I do to deserve you to throw your life down for me?_

Levi was a living puzzle to him. One minute, he hated his guts for one little mistake. Then the next minute he got in between a bullet that was aimed to kill him. Levi was only lucky it missed his head and hit his shoulder instead.

Without another word Erwin got up on his horse before extending an arm for Hange to send up the former assassin. With the help of Eren, Hange secured Levi in front of the commander. Erwin secured an arm around the tiny waist, realizing this had not been the first time he had to do this, even if it was a different situation.

"What should we do about Stella?" Petra pointed at the dark mare, as she gently nuzzled her new owner, ears flicked back in forth in confusion.

"If she lets anyone to lead her, then do so. But if she's too freaked out then let her be. She might walk beside me." He watched as Krista took the reins, whispering sweet words of comfort as she lead the mare to her own horse.

The mare got nervous, but followed the young girl anyway. Stella often turned her head to have another look at her rider, and Erwin could see she was confused. When all riders assembled, the commander lead the way out of the forest. The ride back to headquarters was uneventful, and for that they were all grateful.

=3=

Hange had come up with a possible antidote rather quickly. It took one night and half a day, and even though it wasn't a definite antidote, they felt it was close enough. It hasn't been tested yet, but it will be soon enough. First, they had to go retrieve Erwin from his office.

 _When you finish the antidote, come get me. I'll be in my office. I want to be there when he wakes up._

Hange didn't understand why the commander wanted to be around when the former assassin woke up. The short man was never a polite person to be around when he woke up, he had an attitude and foul mouth up until his first cup of tea.

With this in mind Hange started a fresh kettle. Once it was done they brought it to Levi's room with the container of his favorite tea flavor. It's not like Hange had anything for Levi, but they paid attention to every little detail. And after the incident of his uncle, it was a good gesture to wake up to a fresh hot cup. It might improve his mood, for Hange had a feeling he was going to endure a long talk with Erwin.

With the kettle, tea cups and tea settled, Hange began to head up to Erwin's office. It wasn't far, and they wondered why Erwin put so much trust in Levi so quickly to put his bedroom just a hallway and around the corner of the commander's office. Maybe it had something to do with Levi taking a bullet for him. And Levi might not have done it if Edwin hadn't displayed a shaky form of trust from the beginning.

Who would have thought that act of trust could change two people so deeply. Although most of the Survey Corp saw a huge leap with Levi, Hange saw Erwin changed, too. The man had always kept everyone at arms length, viewing everyone as his subordinates that will most likely die under his command. Because of that burden, he didn't allow too many people close. It had bothered Hange, for they knew that no human couldn't live without some form of relationship just to remain sane throughout their lives.

And somehow Levi managed to break down Erwin's walls and not care for the consequences. Or perhaps Levi acted upon the instinct to put his life down on the one person who showed him respect and trust, something they suspected Levi's uncle never did. At least not openly or often enough.

"Sir? The antidote is ready." Hange knocked before opening the door. They stopped short to see the commander, still awake, was staring out the window.

"Has he woken up yet?" Erwin didn't turn around, but there was exhaustion in his voice that the Hange the man hadn't slept at all.

"Actually, sir, I was waiting to administer the antidote until you were there. And don't worry, I don't plan on bringing Eren and his group for this. I know he hates crowds, and we seem to be the few he puts a lot of trust in." Hange didn't understand why they didn't see this before, but they had the sense Erwin was becoming possessive over Levi.

"Well then, we better get going then." Erwin left the window, and Hange gasped.

 _What Levi did effected him so much he hasn't shaved since then. I don't think the poor man has slept, either._

Hange began to feel guilty for teasing Eren, now. They had been so caught up with making the boy squirm to notice the silent hurt the commander was feeling. Hange made a note not to tease anyone about a possible crush ever again.

"Right. I even set up to make tea for everyone. Hope you don't mind, I know you prefer coffee. But I thought it might help Levi, even picked up his favorite flavor. It might be old fashioned, but I think it's cute the way he's all about the tea." Hange smiled knowingly, noting the curious expression on the commander's face.

"Well, one cup of tea wouldn't hurt." Erwin shrugged, almost sheepish at the action.

"That's the spirit, sir!" Hange cheered as they opened the door. "Warning, because of the heart rate increasing at a rapid rate he might have a panic attack. Or worse case scenario, a heart attack. This is also the other reason why I only want you around, because this little spitfire might be too strong for me."

"You couldn't find a way to avoid either of those from happening?" Erwin sent a worried look.

"I still need to work on the kinks, but I'm worried about how long his heart has been low for so long. He didn't explain if the body underwent any damages because of this serum. I don't even think he knows of the full side effects of waking up from this." Hange readied the needle with the antidote.

Erwin watched intently as the needle went in, the antidote entering the blood stream as he made tea for all of them. He didn't touch the sugar or honey, as he didn't know how they took their tea. But for his own he added some honey, ignoring the more expensive ingredient.

The antidote worked fast, the breathing increased to normal, pulse quickening. However the effect was too strong, as steel grey eyes opened with a gasp as if he had been held down underwater for too long. The sudden action was too much for his body, and suddenly he couldn't breathe anymore.

It was as Hange predicted, the antidote induced a panic attack. Levi pushed Hange, who still had the needle in hand, away and they landed on the floor. Taking action Erwin cautiously went to the short man's side when he tried to stand up.

"Don't try to stand, you'll only make yourself dizzy." The commander said softly, keeping calm.

Levi snarled, attempting to punch the taller man, only it didn't work well, his strength failing him. As the former assassin fell, Erwin caught him, lowering both of them to the floor and propped the smaller body on his knee. No longer caring if the young man would forever hate him for breaking the boundaries of touch, Erwin gently rubbed the lower back to the shoulders.

"Breathe, just breathe. Focus on breathing for me." He only received a glare at that, so Erwin had to think of a different tactic.

"Know what, just try breathing with me. Breathe in. Breathe out. Slowly, there, that's it. Breathe in, breathe out."

They remained like this for a few minutes. Hange watched the display, suddenly feeling like a stranger in the room. They thought about leaving them be to give them space, but the noise of the door closing might distract Levi from the breathing exercise. And so despite feeling uncomfortable, Hange remained sitting on the floor, watching the two progress on their still shaky trust.

 _Or maybe it's not as shaky as it was. The incident with the bullet changed everything._

But was it a change for the better or worse? Would it end happily or in pain? Those were questions that ran through Hange's head. Only time will tell, they guessed. For right now, Hange will keep their concerns silent. It was better to let them experience whatever this was going for them first, Hange didn't want to ruin anything.

"Fuck that shit. I hate waking up from that shitty serum." Levi breathed out, voice raw from the panic attack.

"This isn't the first time?" Erwin inquired curiously. He earned another glare.

"Yeah, Kenny had to administer it to me in my training. Apparently some of his other pupils had an allergic reaction and died from it. He had to check and make sure I didn't have the same problem." Levi blinked several times as memories of how he ended up like this came back.

"Shit. I chose you over my uncle, didn't I? And what happened to you? You look like an old man now with that beard on your face."

"Are you regretting that decision, Levi? And mind you, I haven't had the time to shave."

Somehow, that almost felt like a test. Levi stared hard into the blue eyes that haunted him wherever he went. For once he wasn't afraid to look at Erwin in the face. He was confronting the very face that made him nervous whenever those eyes bore into him, the face of the man that confused him more than anyone else he had encountered in his life.

"No. Before you start doubting me, I don't regret what I did. I'm just getting over the shock of it. I never thought I'd live to see the day I would turn on my uncle. I never had the guts to ever try." Suddenly feeling nervous again, Levi fully sat up before pulling himself to sit on the edge of the bed.

Taking the hint, Erwin stood up. He retrieved an unclaimed cup of tea.

"How do you take your tea? We have sugar and honey."

"Wait, there's tea? And honey, I take it with two spoons of honey. I despise sugar." Levi regained his composure.

"You can thank Hange for making it." Erwin hid his smile at the sugar remark.

"I figured you might appreciate to have tea. And I think I have to reconsider the antidote, or perhaps I gave you too big of a dose. You are so tiny, I think I gave you the same amount for someone with normal height and weight." Hange laughed nervously.

"Shit, bloody four eyes! I thought I was having a heart attack." Levi glared, accepting the offered cup and took a sip.

"I'll be sure to remember next time!"

"Tch. I'll take your word for now. And there won't be a next time if I have anything to say about it." Levi resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "So, what happened when I was out? I was afraid Kenny would have killed all of you and I'd wake up in a torture room."

To ignore their expressions of shock he took another long sip of his tea. He didn't quite feel like explaining the last part.

"Well, you missed Eren turning into a Titan." Hange filled in. "He tried to attack your uncle, and he got shot in the process. I guess the pain triggered him to transform. Before he could tear Kenny apart, Erwin swooped in with a last minute deal."

"A deal? Kenny never strikes a deal with anyone, especially from targets." Levi raised an eyebrow.

"Well he did. He was surrounded, no way to escape even if he did kill Erwin. And there was a Titan there, to boot. I have never seen Eren so livid. Anyway, the deal was that he left you behind and he will be allowed to leave. As long as he didn't attack anyone."

"That does sound like Kenny. He cared more about himself than anything else." Levi gazed at his tea, trying to ignore the hurt he felt at his own statement.

 _Why am I feeling this hurt? I've always known he would do something like that. So why does it hurt?_

"He might have done it to save his hide, but he did care about you. He came for you, and tried to take you back. And just before he left, he told me that if something happened to you he swore he would wipe out the entire Scout Legion." Erwin felt it was important that Levi knew what his uncle had said.

At that the former assassin stared at him, his face expressionless and guarded. After a moment Levi broke eye contact for another sip from his cup. He didn't know how to respond to the idea his uncle, who never showed any comforting touch or words, actually did care about him.

"So, what happens now? I assume there's a reason why you're here, Erwin." Levi redirected the conversation on purpose.

"Well, that all depends on you. You did stop a bullet from killing me. Does that mean you're taking up my offer?" Erwin was growing used to the glares.

"I have nowhere else to go. So, yes, I'm taking your offer."

"You do have a place. Your place is here now. I'm looking forward to the day you realize that being with us means home to you."

"You sound corny, Eyebrows."

At the ridiculous expression Levi chuckled. He was starting to finally feel comfortable here.

"What? Your eyebrows astound me, sir. They're so big and bushy on that face of yours. Just be glad your nickname from me isn't permanently Brat, like Eren. Or Shitty Glasses." At the last nickname Levi stared at Hange.

"You have a strange way of giving people nicknames." Erwin commented, although smiling.

"Better than old man. You're sixteen years my senior."

At the mention of the amount in age difference Hange spat out their tea and started laughing uncontrollably. They didn't even care or notice that they almost choked on their drink.

"Oi. What's so funny, Shitty Glasses?"

"Oh, please don't mind me. It's nothing, I swear! It's just…" Hange was lost in another fit of laughter. They didn't even seem fazed at the deadly glare from the short man, for they saw the blush on the commander's face and couldn't hold in the laugh.

"Okay, Levi I'm sorry! Ow! That hurt!"

Levi had kicked Hange's shin to make the laughing stop. He was annoyed at whatever they found hilarious. It was worse with Erwin blushing. He felt as if he had missed something and he didn't like being left out. Erwin cleared his throat.

"Anyway, Levi, I just wanted to be the first person to say this."

"What, that I'm the only one who doesn't understand what's going on? Because that would be great."

"Welcome to the Survey Corp."

Feeling his heart flutter at those words Levi quickly finished his tea. He was so flustered he didn't even notice the fluid had gone cold. Never in his life was he appreciated to be part of their lives, let alone welcomed as if he had just arrived home after being away for so long.

 _Home. That almost has a nice ring to it._

=3=

Death: So, what do you think? I'm sorry for teasing between two people for Levi to be paired with, but I decided long ago who to pair him with. I just decided to tease a little as a tribute for those who wanted to see that particular pairing.

So for those who wanted to see Eren and Levi together, please forgive me. And before any of you start thinking that there's going to be a three way battle, no, it's not going to be the horrors of Twilight. This isn't a fluffy romance novel. This is mainly a dark fic, but that doesn't mean I won't sneak in light moments. I personally don't like stories so dark it's depressing, so I like to liven them up with cuteness.

Also, the rapid pace of finishing chapters is slightly disturbing to me. This hasn't happened to me before. It's not strange to any of you, right? The fast pace of updates? Because I'm not sure if it's a good thing or bad thing.

Anyways please leave a review.


	5. Demons of His Past

Death: Warning, this chappie is going to be dark. So if you have a weak stomach turn away now.

 **Chapter Five** Demons of His Past

=3=

The adjustment of becoming part of the Survey Corp wasn't too hard. Apparently taking a bullet for the commander earned him a lot of respect. However, it did take some time for everyone to get used to his quirks.

Because of Levi the entire castle was cleaned top to bottom. In a matter of days the castle transformed from run down and abandoned to decent. He had anyone who talked shit or had nothing else to do to clean while he himself walked around with a mop and a bucket. Even Erwin was forced to take care of his office, which had gotten messier than the last time the former assassin had seen it.

They also quickly learned not to challenge him when he barked orders to make themselves useful. Jean had the unfortunate mistake of talking back to Levi once. All that earned him was a broom sweeping his legs out from under him, then said broom thrown at his face. Which Levi then proceeded to give Jean a nickname of his own.

"Oi. Horse Face. Are you just going to stand there, or actually do the dishes? And do it right this time. You left disgusting stains on the plates on your last shift."

"How many times do I have to tell you, I don't have a horse face!?"

"Would you rather scrub the floors on your hands and knees like a horse?" Was the dark and cold reply.

"N-no sir, I'm good with the dishes." Jean began to scrub harder.

"That's what I thought, Horse Face."

When the short man left Jean started growling under his breath. He couldn't get this one stain off and it was starting to piss him off. He had imagined Levi was the stain, and just to spite him the stubborn Levi-Stain wouldn't leave the plate as it laughed maniacally at him. When a minute went by Jean threw his hands up with a yell.

"Fuck this shit! It's a permanent stain! Fuck Levi and his cleanliness!"

"Are you okay, Jean?" Eren peeked into the kitchen, broom in hand.

"Keep that broom away from me!"

He heard laughter, and they turned to see Petra and Krista had just finished their own chores. Shortly behind them was Ylmir, and the three girls put on aprons and gloves as they started to help with the dishes and wiping the counters.

"What's so funny, huh? Bet short stuff isn't as hard on you guys as he is on us. I swear he has it out for me!"

"Actually, he yelled at Ylmir for sleeping in this morning. And then proceeded to tell Sasha to stop sneaking food to her room. She left a crumb trail from her snacks." Petra countered with a laugh.

"Seriously? He's like that with everyone?"

"He's even worse when he notices anyone slacking in taking care of their horses. I have never seen Armin run so fast when Levi threw a horse shoe at his head." Krista added, a smile tugging at her face. "I think it's rather endearing, don't you think?"

"Whatever. I hate his ass in thinking he can bark orders at us when it's barely been a few weeks since he's been officially part of us!" Ylmir grumbled, almost breaking the same plate Jean had been cleaning from pure pressure in her hands.

"Well, he might have an attitude, but I agree with Krysta." Petra stated, pausing in scrubbing a pot.

"What's with you ladies? Don't tell me you all got a crush on the asshole." Jean crossed his arms. When he saw the blush creep up on Petra's cheeks, he threw his hands up in the air again. "Knew it! How did I fucking guess?"

"It's a harmless crush!" Petra huffed. "Besides, nothing will become of it. And, for the record, I agree with Krysta because despite all the extra chores, he's actually doing some good making us clean."

"What makes you say that?" Eren tilted his head curiously.

"Well, before he came around, all we've done is sit around bored. Now we have motivation to clean and put more effort in our cooking. Haven't any of you felt the same way as I do? That we go to bed at night feeling accomplished for the day's work?"

Silence was her confirmation that indeed, they all felt the same. Smiling that she wasn't alone in that aspect, Petra continued with cleaning out the pot. Wordlessly the others went back to their own cleaning.

"So…what makes you think nothing will happen between you and Levi?" Eren was the first to break the silence.

"You idiot! Don't ask girls personal questions! You're lucky they haven't thrown shit at you for it." Jean whispered not too quietly.

"Ahem. Thank you Jean, I'll remember next time to throw the soapy sponge at your face."

"Please don't I'm sorry Petra! I've had enough soap being thrown at my mouth! Levi threw five in the last three days!"

"Serves you right." Ylmir said under her breath.

"Anyway, to answer your question, just call it a woman's intuition. I have this feeling he's not looking for a relationship right now. And it's hard to tell with him which way he swings."

"What do you mean? You can't get a reading?" Jean scratched his hairline, confused.

He was met with utter silence. When he was about to ask what was wrong, he had this cold chill down his spine. He knew this feeling. Jean had figured out only one person can give him this cold shiver.

 _The little shit is right behind me, isn't he?_

"Oi. If all of you are ready to gossip about other people's love life, then why don't you all put the same effort into your chores!"

"Yes, sir!" Everyone in the kitchen scrambled.

"And you, Horse Face! Don't abandon your post with your duty to the dishes ever again! If I catch you slacking off one more time, it's the toilets for you!"

"I won't slack off again, sir!"

"I'll be keeping your word for it, Horse Face. Be lucky I'm out of soap to clean your mouth with."

 _Thank God for small favors. He's like a Shardis junior or something. Or more like a mini Shardis._

Jean felt so lucky Levi wasn't within earshot of his snort. When the girls looked at him like he was crazy he couldn't contain his laughter anymore. His laughing fit didn't last long when a still very wet hand cloth hit the back of his head. That earned him soft chuckles, for the others feared to get the same treatment if Levi heard them.

"Seriously, what's up with him today? It's like he's on his period or something. This is the worst I've seen him." Jean could see worry seep in with the others at his inquiry. He wasn't alone to notice that, either.

"Whatever it is that's been bothering him, I hope he talks about it to someone soon. It's hard to keep everything bottled up." Krysta frowned, and at her words Ylmir sent her a knowing look behind her back.

Silence filled the air once again. This time it felt uncomfortable and gloomy.

"So uh, anyone want to make bets on who gets laid with Levi?" Jean threw out the first idea that popped in his head.

=3=

"You wanted to see me?" Levi didn't bother waiting for an answer when he knocked on the door of Erwin's office.

"Just to brief you over your first mission. But before I get into that, I have been receiving a lot of concerns about your behavior today. Now, I don't like to pry, but even I noticed you've been an oddball all day. Care to explain?" Erwin looked up from his paperwork, setting them aside.

 _He means business. Shit. I hate being cornered._

"It's nothing that will effect my performance." Levi tried hard not to bite his lip when the commander gave him a stern look.

"Someday I'm going to crack you open. But for now, if you believe it won't harm your abilities to carry out a mission, I'm going put my trust on your word."

Levi nearly flinched at those words. Guilt rose in his chest, and he debated whether or not to voice the demons whispering in his head. It was the anniversary of a death he could never forget. Then he remembered the night they first met. He could never repay that same amount of trust in his eyes, Erwin was the first to give him any form of respect since he lost his pupils.

"Shit. Fuck. Shit, Erwin, you know how to play the guilt trip. Know what, I'll tell you. About four, maybe five years ago I had pupils. I had two of them under my wing. And there was a freak accident, one of them died in my arms." Levi strained not to allow his voice to crack.

 _Shit. Don't cry, don't cry. I'm no good to cry in front of him. He needs me out in the field._

"I have nothing to say to that. Other than my condolences." Erwin leaned back in his chair, taken aback from the sudden change of heart.

"I've been coping. I'll be fine. You said you were going to brief me on the mission?"

Erwin set aside the paperwork he had been working on. The commander didn't want any distractions, as for this sensitive mission was not written on any form of paper. This was something he had to brief over word of mouth.

"There's been rumors going around that concern me. The government officials have bought my story explaining your sudden appearance. I have all your records forged that you've been with us for five years and you've just recently showed us a large amount of progress. However, because of your appearance, they've decided to do a more thorough background check on everyone within the three fractions."

Levi narrowed his eyes at the thought. "They're not going to find out about me, right? As far as I know, Kenny never put me on paper. For some reason he was terrified of the king and other close officials finding out about my name. He even checked for birth records after he took me in."

"Was there a reason for this? And are you sure that's your uncle?"

"I'm not the bastard child to the king." Levi deadpanned. "I know this because my mother was no one important, she whored for a living. Never knew who my father was, she probably couldn't figure out who helped create me so I was given her last name. That's how I know Kenny truly is my uncle."

"So you're full name is Levi Ackerman?" Erwin seemed unnerved by this.

"What's going on in your head?"

"I attempted to look up that family history. All I could find was Mikasa and her parents, a death record from twenty years ago, and a missing case of who was most likely your mother. Other than that, I found bits and pieces of family tree, all in different areas and died of mysterious circumstances. And with each other generation, any with the Ackerman name were moving farther and farther away from the inner city. I find it odd and puzzling."

"Kenny did mention we were outcasts. He knew of one other set of family we had, but they lived in the middle of nowhere in the mountains. He didn't specify where, and he wasn't sure if they survived the attack eight years ago. He didn't bother to check." Levi seemed uncomfortable as his mind thought of Mikasa.

"Well, this just gives you another part of the mission. First, look through the records of the recruits that just graduated. See if there's backgrounds that don't make sense or suspicious. And the second part, see if you can dig deeper with the Ackerman family. Even if you can't get very far in that search, it's fine, we can always search later." Erwin studied the former assassin with interest.

"You're wondering about the chances of Mikasa being related to you."

"Yes. I don't know if it will actually change anything if we are related. She was taken in by Eren's family, and I was taken in by my uncle. And we didn't even know each other's existence. But, I'm starting think we are related." Levi was staring off at nothing, lost in his thoughts.

"What makes you say that?"

"Kenny did reveal something about our family that sets us apart from everyone else. When some life changing event happens in our lives, it awakens a power within us. We become stronger, faster, and when our lives are in danger we block everything out to focus on eliminating the threat. We don't even realize we have serious wounds until afterwards. I have been watching her work the gear the past few days, I'm starting to see it show through in her."

"Did it happen with you yet?" Erwin was curious now. "Because you didn't kill me that night."

"…My instincts are never wrong. Even if I was in a panic, I sensed you guys wouldn't kill me. And yes, there was a life changing event in my past. So, when am I running out on this mission?"

"Tonight. Be sure to leave when it's dark. There's no moon tonight, so it will be harder for you to be seen."

=3=

Levi was silent as he snuck out the castle. He was dressed in his outfit he wore the night he was caught, but with a few differences. His black pants were tucked inside the standard issue military boots. These were easier to decrease drag, as these pants weren't as skin tight as his Survey Corp uniform pair. He left behind the jacket, switched his usual white shirt with a black one with the dark brown vest over it.

He had debated whether or not to leave his trademark white ascot, but since there was no moon tonight he wore it anyway. And last but not least, Levi had the dark cloak that he had for his assassination career. It was a plain black cloak with no insignia, as he didn't want the symbol that Kenny's group liked to plaster all over. In his mind he found it ridiculous how everything had to be labeled, even a group of assassins.

With care he saddled and readied his horse, making sure not to wake the other horses. When Stella was ready Levi lead her out of the stall. A few heads peeked out of the stalls, but didn't raise a ruckus. However, one horse did call out after them at the sight of the mare leaving.

"Hush, Clyde, go back to sleep." Levi whispered, not even bothering to stop. His grip on the reins tightened when he heard footsteps heading his way.

He stepped a little faster, being careful the pace wasn't going to be too loud. He had a horse next to him, and she was starting to get nervous. When they made it to the tree line Levi hid them behind a few trees.

"Who's there?"

 _Shit, it's Mike._

The man found the fresh tracks, he was carrying a lantern. He thought he caught the scent of someone, but it was diminished by the smell of horse and saddle. As he neared the trees, he caught sight of a dark hooded figure jump on a horse and took off. For a split second he saw the face.

 _Levi?_

Mike wasn't sure, but there was no mistaking the height and the horse. He debated whether or not to sound the alarm, but decided against it. Erwin had explained to them that he needed to capture an assassin for their skills on special missions. Maybe this was one of them. With that in mind Mike returned to his night shift.

In the distance Levi let out a relieved sigh when he didn't hear the alarm being sounded. With some difficulty from not being able to see much in the darkness, he guided Stella towards a gate that was hardly used, and so it was guarded less often.

He found the gate open and not guarded. It sure if it was a good sign or not, he went on through anyways. He slowed his mount down to a trot, as they had covered a long distance to reach Wall Sina. Now entering the cramped inner city, he had to be cautious. He found a safe place for Stella and dismounted, tethering her to a post.

After a second to gather his bearings, Levi launched into the air. He knew his way around, and so it was easy to locate the building that stored the records. He was silent when he opened a window and slipped in. Weird enough the window wasn't locked, it was also by some luck he found the right room.

Quietly as he could, he began searching for the records of the recently graduated recruits. He found them with little trouble and began to speed read. If there were any that was too normal he skipped on to the next file. He also ignored the ones that were deceased, even if there was the chance of the bastard child dying in the Trost attack, but his gut told him they didn't.

After thirty minutes in a cramped room full of papers, he found four suspicious files. Heart racing, he committed each file into memory. Afterwards he realized he had gone through all the files of the recruits. With careful accuracy he put them back in the same order he found them. Looking outside he saw he had time to find the room where they kept records of family history. He could hear the guards moving about in the building.

Being careful he slipped back out the window he had come in through. Keeping his hands and feet secure on ledges, he started moving. When he saw thick piles of books with family names on the covers he carefully slipped inside. Once again the window hadn't been locked. He saw they were alphabetized and began to search the big pile of A's.

He had neared the middle when he came across the book with ACKERMAN across it.

 _Why is it so small? All of the others are thick, and at least have two to three books assigned to their name._

He double checked to make sure. And he was right to find that there was only one book for the Ackerman clan. Looking over the condition he realized that it might be old, but it wasn't as old as some of the others, the first books ever to be filled in.

 _Did we come from outside?_

He sat there, holding the book. Checking outside he saw that he had to start heading back. He had no time to read it. Taking the risk, he decided then and there to take it with him. Before he left he put the books back in order as he found them. It was probably fortunate the book he was taking was smaller in thickness than the rest, it would give him time for the officials to notice that anything was taken.

Levi slipped out the window and closed it behind him. He launched into the air and started roof hopping. For the most part he only used his gear when he needed to, as he had to use one arm to hold the book. When he neared the location where he left his horse, he lowered himself to the ground. She bickered at him, happy to see him again.

"Shh, girl. I know, I know, I left you in an unfamiliar place for hours. I'm sorry, I owe you an extra carrot when we get back." He whispered, slipping the book inside the saddle pack.

His horse snorted, tail lashing furiously.

"Okay, how about six carrots? Will that make you feel better?" He offered as he untied her. She responded by gently messing with his hair.

"Oi. That tickles." He swatted her nose away before pulling himself back on the saddle.

Even though it was nearing dawn, he had his mare in a comfortable walk. The gate he had used before wasn't far. And he didn't want to gain the attention from early risers. However the moment he went through the gate he heard the sound of gear on rooftops behind him. Without looking back he urged his mount to a full gallop.

Because of the long distance between wall and nearest tree he figured the person behind him would stop the chase. However he heard them still using the gear, using the wall to launch down into the trees.

 _Shit, I have no choice but to engage. Horses can't outrun the gear._

He aimed for the nearest tree and pulled himself up. Levi went further into the forest, drawing away from the road. He heard his stalker behind him, despite his tricks of losing people on his tail. As light flooded the trees he turned to engage and his heart stopped.

 _Farlan?_

The figure aimed a blade at him. Levi barely had the time to dodge, the hood fell off his head. Blue eyes widened at the sight of his face. His former pupil retracted the blade, and the both of them landed on the ground.

"Levi? Is that really you?"

"Farlan, what are you doing?"

"Well…Kenny wanted me to keep an eye on the records office. He said if anyone went inside I was to follow them when they left and kill them."

A chill spread through his bloodstream. Levi stood there, frozen, as Farlan ran a hand through his blond locks.

"But now I don't know what to do now that I know it's you. What are you doing? Why are you turning against us? Kenny didn't tell any of us why you weren't with him from his rescue mission."

"I'm not turning against any of you. All I wanted was to get out of that life. I found a chance and took it. But they need my help to look into something."

"Don't you know you're being used? Come back home with me, Levi. It's not too late."

"I can't do that, Farlan! I lost my humanity because of that life, because of what happened five years ago when I lost both of you." Levi shook from the memories flooding back.

"Still haven't let that one go? I get it, it was traumatizing, but at some point you have to hurry Isabel, Levi. And I want my old partner back. I miss you. I haven't taken anyone else into my bed because I was waiting for you." Farlan glared at him. "And now I see where your loyalties lie. What, do you get to suck the commander's cock or something?"

"Its not like that, Farlan! If you want me, then come join me! I didn't take anyone else in either. So please, come with me. I know you hate killing, why not walk away from it?"

Back at the castle, everyone was mostly awake by now. They had started work on their daily routine, when Mike sounded the alarm. On alert everyone gathered their gear and ran outside. Even the commander was quick to arrive to see Mike having trouble calming Stella down.

"Levi went out last night. I didn't want to trouble anyone, so I didn't sound the alarm then. Now I wish I did. His horse returned without him. Poor thing is spooked." Mike explained as the mare shied away from him, but he had a tight grip on her bridle.

"What do you want to do, commander?"

"I assigned him on a special mission. But something must have happened. I'll be taking a small group to span the area around us. Mike, Petra, Eld, Gunther, and Auruo, ready your horses. We leave in two minutes. Hange, I'm leaving you in charge while we're gone."

In the forest Farlan had thought over the offer. He made up his mind with a sigh. Levi felt his heart race, waiting for an answer.

"As tempting as that sounds, Levi, I can't, not in this lifetime. I can't stand the idea of being a lapdog to the Survey Corp and be hunted down like one. And I can't let you go, otherwise Kenny will kill me. So, the pupil against the broken mentor, who will rise victorious?"

At the sound of that Levi fled high into the trees. He heard Farlan give chase. The blond laughed that echoed through the forest around them. The muffed sound had reached the ears of the scout group lead by Erwin, and all of them urged their mounts faster.

"I won't give up until you kill me, Levi! Isn't it fitting? Because of you, Isabel died five years ago today! And whoever has the stronger will to live shall join her in death!" Farlan cut one of his former mentor's lines. He laughed as Levi fell, the shorter man managed to land without injury.

Levi grasped a knife he had hidden, it was the knife he took from Kenny. He didn't pull it out, but held his hand against his side, pretending to be injured from the fall. When Farlan was close to him, he raised a blade about to strike down.

They heard horses closing in, and shouting. Farlan had to end it quicker than he wanted. He was about to swing down when the short man stood up and jumped into him, arms wrapped around him. Or what Farlan thought both arms were around him. Then he felt the sharp pain in his chest and blood stained his mentor's face.

Gasping for breath Farlan had no strength left in his legs. Levi went down with him, both arms holding his pupil close this time. He dared not look up into that handsome face as Farlan took his last few breaths.

"I'm sorry it...came to this, Levi. I wish…I wish I could be part of your dream…but not this time…"

The small team had found them, and they all dismounted. Seeing what was going on they didn't dare step any closer. The two didn't even notice their arrival. Levi felt his heart break, guilt drowning him, suffocating. He couldn't respond to what Farlan said.

"Take care of him…for me…" Farlan made eye contact with Erwin, who somberly nodded. "Although he may not seem like it…he's fragile."

With much difficulty Farlan raised a hand to dark hair. The shorter male was shaking, holding back tears and the whimpers.

"Levi…thank you…"

And Farlan closed he eyes. Never to open them ever again. Feeling the last breath, hearing the last weak heartbeat, Levi whimpered. He couldn't afford to cry in front of them, least of all Erwin, but he couldn't hold them back. His tiny shoulders shook as he cried silently, his face still buried in his now dead pupil's chest.

He gasped, when after a few minutes of crying, a large hand gently touched one of his shoulders. He didn't look up, his arms tightened around the dead body. He didn't hear when someone knelt down beside him before the hand was comforting him. He almost flinched when that hand started to rub circles on his back.

"If you would like, we can give him the same service we do for our own. We can set up a funeral pyre for tonight. Or would you rather bury him?" Erwin was gentle when he spoke.

For the first time Levi slowly looked up to meet blues. And upon making eye contact, the demons in his head were silenced.

"Erwin…promise me something. Please end me if I become my demons. If I lose myself, I want you to take care of me. Promise me." Steel blue greys weren't tearing up, all that was left of the years were the streaks drying on his cheeks that were blood stained.

"I promise." Erwin said after a moment's hesitation.

Together the group buried Farlan in a field of flowers with the perfect view. Over the grave Levi planted a sapling, so that as it grew Farlan could reach the sky. And maybe birds will nest there, his favorite animal. And after one last look, they made their way back to headquarters in somber silence.

=3=

Death: Oh yeah great timing, Annie Arc about to come up next chapter. Yes I did that on purpose. Pull your heartstrings just before the destruction of Annie hit.

So please leave me a review.


	6. If I Look Back, I Am Lost

Death: Well, after the last chapter, I figured this one should be a little easier to take

 **Chapter Six** If I Look Back, I Am Lost

=3=

For a few days no one saw Levi. Everyone had heard what happened, and despite the heaviness in the air, they all continued with their chores. A few even covered the former assassin's schedule, rotating between Eren, Petra and Mikasa. Since the three took over, they also kept everyone else in line. They even made sure to leave a plate for Levi in front of his door at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Despite the food not being touched, they held hope. And one morning after a week of no responses, no sign of the food being eaten, Petra was checking on the plate she had left earlier before serving breakfast to everyone else downstairs. She had just finished helping with the dishes and cleaning the tables, and she had expected to find once again the food untouched. Then as she reached the top of the stairs, to her delight and surprise, the plate was empty.

She picked it up, and gently knocked. Receiving no answer, her heart fell a little. She took a deep breath and spoke as happily as she could.

"Levi? I'm glad you're eating again! I just wanted to say, whenever you're ready, come downstairs. We're all here to support you. We all miss you, and Stella has been depressed. I hope it'll cheer you up that we haven't slacked off cleaning, either."

 _Now I'm just rambling._

"Anyway, um, just come downstairs when you're ready! I hope you enjoyed the food, I made it myself! I'll talk to you later, it's my turn to sweep."

And with that Petra walked back downstairs with the empty plate. Upon seeing the grin on her face, the others who had just finished with the kitchen stared. Mikasa was the first to notice the empty plate.

"He finally ate?"

"Yeah! He didn't respond when I knocked, but I'm so glad he's eating again! I was starting to get worried."

"You know, for someone who kills people for a living, he takes death hard." Jean commented, earning a glare from everyone in the room.

"What!?"

"How inconsiderate of you!" Petra stomped her way to the sink and angrily began cleaning the plate she had just received.

"As far as Erwin figured out, he hated his job. He didn't have a choice when his uncle took him in. And it so happens he killed his former pupil on the anniversary death of his other pupil. He may have enjoyed killing, but that doesn't mean he liked his job." Mikasa explained plain and simple.

"What, defending your possible long distance cousin now that you know he could be family?" Jean shot back, irritated.

"That has nothing to do with explaining to someone as dense as you. All I'm saying is, even if you were forced to do something, there's a part of you that finds something in it to enjoy."

"And how would you know this, Mikasa? You sound like you've experienced this." Connie piped up.

"I've killed before. If I hadn't, Eren and I wouldn't even be here. I didn't want to kill, but a small part of me enjoyed it." What Mikasa also left out was the fact she saw the world as kill or be killed, for that was how nature worked.

Unknown to them, as the others reacted, Levi stood on the stairs. He had been silent when he crept his way down, realizing that Petra made a good point. He had overheard most of the conversation, and was surprised to hear Mikasa speak like that about him.

 _So she did experience an event that changed her life. It's confirmation enough for me._

With that in mind, Levi silently made his way up the stairs. He decided it was time to see Erwin, for he had yet to write down the files he had memorized. He knocked on the office and then let himself in without waiting for an answer. He walked in to see the man going over plans of the next mission outside the wall.

"Hm? Oh, Levi! I was wondering when you would come out of your shell. Just in time, I was going to tell you that you're provided your own team. You're now a corporal. Captain of the Special Forces unit. Your job is to protect Eren at all costs while beyond the wall."

Not sure how to respond, Levi casually sat down on the chair across from the commander. He took a glance around the office.

"…I see you kept this clean."

"Well, I figured might as well keep up with it. So, how are you feeling? Because I wasn't sure if you were mentally stable enough for the next mission outside."

"I'm ready. But, are you sure about putting me in a position so fast? I only just become part of this the same time as the recruits."

"I know, but on paper, the officials think you've been with us for five years. So, I had to make an exception and keep up that act. Your teammates will be the same as the group that found you a week ago, minus me and Mike. I hope you don't mind, but they requested to be under you when they found out you were to be captain."

"I don't mind. I trust them. After seeing me at my worst, they didn't make fun of me. And after an experience like that, it brought us closer I think. And I like Petra's cooking." Levi recalled the scrambled eggs and hash browns that he ate earlier. She had salted and peppered them perfectly for him.

"Good to see you getting along with other people, finally. I was worried with your foul mouth and bluntness, people would stay away from you. Eren doesn't seem to mind you, either. Actually, I think he looks up to you."

"That's a first. I'm not the easiest person to admire." Levi commented, feeling unnerved.

"I admire you."

Levi caught himself before his body could jerk back in surprise. His heart fluttered, and he could feel a faint blush creep on his cheeks. He blinked at the commander, caught off guard for the first time.

"I admire you because despite all the pain you've experienced, you continue to live. You're brave, just like the rest of us that have been taking out titans for years. But what makes you different from the rest of us, is the fact you shove through like a storm. You're the storm everyone needs to see and admire. Yes, you stumble every once in a while, but you pick up again." Erwin explained further.

Levi sat there, staring. He didn't know how to respond, and he swore his heart was loud in his ears.

 _So I'm a storm in his eyes. But am I the kind that lifts everyone up, or do I destroy them when they get too close?_

"How do you know I'm not the kind of storm that harms them?"

"Because I can sense you trust us fully now. You consider yourself one of us. I see it the way you interact with them. Because of you, this place is working out just fine despite how must of us didn't want to move here. We're working like a family again."

"You mean like a hive. And you're the queen bee."

At the comparison Erwin laughed. "I guess that does make me the queen bee. A lonely one, though."

"You don't have anyone to fall back on?" Levi was now genuinely curious.

"No. A long time ago I fell in love, back when I was in training. But, I chose titans. Considering the life I was going into, I let her go. I didn't want to give her the pain of being a widow should I die in field. She now has a husband and three kids." Erwin may have been looking at him, but he wasn't seeing him.

There was a far off look in his eyes. For some reason, that disturbed Levi to no end. He suddenly stood up, almost knocking the chair he had been sitting on, and Erwin blinked from the sudden movement.

"Let me be someone you fall back on. As a friend. You're the one who made the promise, this is the least I can do. And, I feel like I can never pay you back after you put your trust in me that first night. You have no idea how much that effected me. By that act alone, you restored my faith in humanity. And I confess, your act of kindness scared me. It still scares me, but I trust and respect you. So please, if you need an ear, you know where to find me."

Levi didn't know his face was red all over, but his eyes never strayed from the eye contact. He was serious with his offer, and he was afraid of Erwin not to take it. He wasn't sure how his heart would take the rejection. After a moment Erwin smiled the first genuine smile Levi ever saw.

"I'll be sure to remember that. When I need to talk to anyone, it will be you. And Levi, you don't have to repay me. I won't stop you, but I want you to know that even though you don't have to, I appreciate it." Erwin saw the blush deepen more if possible. Afraid he would get embarrassed and run away, he didn't comment on it.

 _He's so cute when he blushes. It's so rare to see any other emotion show through his mask._

"So, Levi, was there a reason for this sudden visit? Please tell me the others have seen you as well."

"No…you're the first. And, I came here to write down the four files I memorized for you." Levi didn't know why he left out the book he stole, a part of him felt as if it would be better that way. It was his family line.

"Oh, then here. I have plenty of paper. Let's see where's that other pen…" Erwin handed over a stack of blank paper, then began searching the drawers. When he found it he passed it over.

Levi set down to work. It was quick, for three of four files were just one page. He didn't see Erwin staring, curious to see someone left hand dominate, which is a rare sight these days. The former assassin was more focused on the task at hand. Despite how he memorized the papers a week ago, his memory was still clear.

When he finished, he handed them over. Erwin took a moment to admire the neat and perfect handwriting. He started to read through them carefully. He saw with each file why Levi chose these, for there were little information or no proof of family history. He could see three of them were part of the Survey Corp, and while that disturbed him greatly, the one that became part of the Military Police disturbed him more.

"Well, this narrows our search greatly. Keep it low, but keep a watch over these three. We can't do much with the one in the inner city, but perhaps after the run outside the wall. Right now, you have to remain low. No one has attacked or questioned us about Farlan, so it's best not to raise more awareness."

"I'll give it my best. I don't know how to get close to them, but I will keep an eye on them."

=3=

For the next week they were busy preparing for the expedition outside the wall. It was a bold move to go as far as they could towards Shiganshina. If possible, the objective was to reach the basement that could hold answers about the titans. What bothered Levi was how excited Hange was acting, and what also raised a red flag when her division was responsible for the carriages with cargo.

Levi didn't voice his concern, he felt it was better to keep it to himself. They were so busy he hadn't have time for the book he risked stealing. He did remove it from his saddle bag to under his pillow one night. He didn't want to risk it getting damaged while outside the wall. Plus it was extra weight on his mare that was unneeded.

He did try to keep an eye on the three recruits. It was difficult when two of them kept to themselves, but even so they remained part of the main group. It was as if they knew they were being watched, and since he had no relations to the recruits other than Eren and Mikasa, he couldn't get close.

He did however have more success with the third recruit. They happened to share the same schedule on their horses. What's more, her horse was right next to his. He learned she was great with horses, had been raised on a farm. So, even though he knew a great deal of taking care of horses, he went to her anyway for questions to start up a conversation.

"Hey, Krysta, do you know when a mare goes into heat? Someone once told me it was twice a year, but then someone else said it could be every other month."

"Oh, well for the most part it is twice a year. There's one in the spring, then one in the fall. Lucky for us, it's the start of the summer. So the mares won't be in heat for another few months. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I have noticed that most of these studs are vying for her attention, mainly Clyde, and for the most part Stella ignores them. I just wanted to keep an eye on whoever she pays attention to so I could prepare keeping her away." Although he hadn't been outside the wall yet, a part of him wouldn't have any other horse he could trust out there.

"She's so mature. And so pretty, too. How old is she, do you know? Mine is only three, and she won't stop flirting with the boys." Krysta smiled as she handed her filly a carrot.

"I think Hange said Stella is six. She was born in the middle of winter, I think." Levi had to ask the date later, but his mare might share a birthday with him. If so, then it was more of a reason to keep her away from the stallions when she was in heat. The mare would be out of service for a year, and it would be devastating for him.

"Wow, and she already acts like a mature lady. I think it's cute. It usually takes eight years and a couple of foals to be mature. Do you know if she had any foals yet?" The young girl was curious, maybe that was why Stella was so tough for her age.

"I don't think so. Hange said her previous owner made sure she was comfortable and happy during her five years of work, and took great care of avoiding the studs during heat cycles. I think her years of work is what matured her so fast." Levi stroked the mares neck, scratching her usual itch spot as she ate.

"Yeah, I can see that. She may have lost her friends over the years. And then her best friend and caretaker. I'm glad she has you, she seems to have cheered up now that you're spending time with her again. She was so sad when you were in your room for a week." Krysta looked at him, suddenly afraid. "I'm so sorry to bring that up, I didn't mean to."

"No, its fine. It was my fault I neglected her for so long. But believe it or not, she chose me. My first tour around and she reached out to me. Hange saw the interaction and suggested to Erwin I be her caretaker."

Krysta giggled. "That's so sweet! It's good the commander allowed that."

 _She's so sweet my teeth are rotting. It's as if she's trying too hard to keep up an act._

Out of the four he found, Krysta had no proof of family history. He didn't doubt she came from a farm, her ability with animals and farm work showed she did this sort of thing growing up. He could sense she was lonely, too. Levi grew up an outcast, despite his uncle training him and knowing the majority of the king's assassins. He knew outcasts when he saw them.

 _Its too early to tell if she's the one Erwin is searching for. But I can't disregard her, either._

For now, he will wait and learn more. Hopefully he would have more time after the mission. And maybe he would also have more time to read the book of his family history. It was irritating him that he had it, and yet he hadn't have the time to read one page yet. But, he was being patient. One thing that was beaten into him from his training as an assassin, was to be patient. It paid well in the end.

That night was the night before the mission outside the wall. The majority of them couldn't sleep. Levi busied himself with extra cleaning and serving cups of tea to settle their nerves. He even noticed the veterans were nervous. Although some didn't usually drink tea, they didn't turn down a cup he made for them. He normally wouldn't waste so much tea and keep most of it to himself, but he felt that these people needed it.

"How are you so calm? You've never gone outside the walls and see a Titan first hand." Armin was a nervous wreck.

"So? You've never gone outside yourself. You have one up on me, though. Even the few times I stood on top of a wall, I didn't see one Titan. And I missed out on Eren's transform when I was knocked out."

"So how are you calm about this?" The short blond persisted.

"I'm an assassin. The feeling is mutual. The only reason I'm not in bed is because titans are new targets for me. And drink some tea, it helps settle the nerves and calm the mind."

"You sound like an old man." Armin joked.

"I'm in my thirties, kid."

At that everyone within earshot looked at him. And all of the whispered conversations had stopped.

"What? Why are you shits staring at me for?" Levi squirmed, he didn't like the awkward attention.

"You're in your thirties!?" A good few people synced at the same time.

"Oi. Don't get too loud." Levi deadpanned.

"Holy shit! I thought you were in your fucking early twenties or something!" Jean exclaimed.

 _Why did I open my big mouth?_

Levi regretted letting that bit of information slip through. Now he was going to hear it from everyone. Before anyone would crowd around him he drank down his newly made tea down like a shot, not caring for the scalding liquid burning his throat. He slammed his cup down and got up to leave.

"You're going to bed already?" Eren looked at him with those puppy eyes.

"I'm going for a walk. Anyone who follows gets a broken arm." Levi made his way outside.

When the door closed, he leaned back against it. He took a moment to recollect his thoughts. He breathed in deeply, his body shaking. Erwin was right. He was becoming part of them. He never knew what a family was like, he thought that having an uncle grudgingly taking him in was what a family was. He was quickly learning what a real family was, and it was more than just blood.

This was overwhelming. And he didn't know what to do. Never in a million years would he tell anyone his age. Kenny called him lucky not having to worry about looking his age. He used his deceptive young face in his advantage to get close to targets. When he was in his early teens, he was so small he pretended to be a young kid to approach his targets.

Here at the Survey Corp, they all assumed he was young. Even Erwin was fooled, despite his ability to read people so easily. Perhaps the mask Levi had built over the years had been for naught. With that in mind he began walking. He didn't have a destination, but his feet brought him to the stables. He found himself outside Stella's stall.

"Hey, girl. Forgive me, but I don't have a carrot."

She made it a point to bring one next time when she reached over and gently nipped his hair.

"Oi. That tickles. Must you do this every time?"

He stayed in front of her stall. He didn't know how long he was there, as he lost track as he poured his thoughts out loud for her to listen. He always found horses were always good listeners. Stella was no different. He turned when he heard footsteps heading their way. He blinked at the sight of Erwin.

"I came downstairs to tell everyone to go to bed. Then they tell me you haven't returned from your walk. They told me what happened, and I guess they speculated you're sensitive about your age."

"It's not that. Well, yes, I am sometimes. It's more about my height."

"Ah, I had a feeling that was it. So, you nervous about tomorrow?" Erwin gazed up at the stars.

"Yes. Titans are a whole different league of their own. And I feel that I am at a disadvantage compared to the recruits. All of them were there at Trost. And at that time period I was planning…"

 _I was planning your death._

"I know. But I have a strong feeling you'll do fine. You're a natural with the gear, and you have good instincts. You may not work well in groups, but you trust your squad. It's another reason why I named you captain, you wouldn't have followed anyone's orders otherwise."

 _Wow, he put a lot of thought into this._

Levi wasn't sure if he should be flattered, or worried the man could read him so easily.

"I guess. It's just that…I can't shake off this bad feeling I have. I can't find my inner peace when I know that there will be a lot of deaths come tomorrow. I may have killed, but I am absolutely against useless sacrifices. It's a waste of lives, and there's no point in it."

He could feel those eyes staring at him. He knew this was the wrong thing to say before a mission, but he had to make it clear to Erwin now. Levi was trying to avoid a future argument should his instinct be right on the dot. He was terrified their trust will be shaken, and Erwin wouldn't confide in him after they came back. If they came back.

 _My instincts are rarely wrong. But is this fear of going outside? Or facing a Titan for the first time?_

=3=

When they raced out the gate, Levi felt his fear melt away. He stared up at the sky with awe and wonder. Memories of Isabel and Farlan flooded through him. How they loved the illusion of flying with the gear, and their curiosity about the world beyond the walls. Choked on the sudden flood of memories, he bit them back and focused on the task at hand. He was captain now.

 _The focus is to protect Eren at all costs. I understand Erwin's view to protect him, but at all costs…_

Levi didn't feel like dying today. And he planned to keep it that way. Hopefully his squad would leave unscathed, too. But it was too early to wish that. He tightened his grip on the reins, never looking back. He knew he was in front, while the rest of the squad surrounded Eren in a close circle.

"Captain! They went through!" Eren pointed out Hange's squad entered the only path through the only pathway through forest.

Then the outside groups swerved to go around. His squad noticed that with confusion.

Just before they entered, a messenger came close. The right flank was devastated by an unknown new class. A female Titan was what few survivors reported. Levi sent one of his own to pass on the message, and the messenger went back to his squad.

When his team was reunited again, they were all nervous.

"What do we do, captain?"

 _Erwin didn't tell them the plan? Am I one of the few that figured out what's going on?_

"We go through."

And so they went through, and his instincts screamed at him. Even as a part of him wanted to get out of the forest, he continued. He dared not look back. It was not time to show them his fear. He was their captain. They were already terrified as it was. It was up to him to show them to continue on.

Eren lost his shit when the Female Titan barreled through the trees, almost on top of them. He caught sight of blond hair and blue eyes intent to kill. That was all he needed to know. She was like Eren. The only difference was that she saw the Survey Corp as an enemy.

By now, the rest of the team but Eren caught onto Erwin's plan. They were urging Eren to trust in them. To have faith in him. Eren was too stubborn to see through their point. His emotions were getting the better of him to see what the commander had set up.

"Eren, the difference between your judgement and ours is something that arises from the gap in our experience. But not relying on something like that is just fine. Choose. Whether you should believe in yourself, or believe in the Survey Corp, myself included. I myself don't know…I never have. Whether I believed in my own abilities, or whether I believed in the decisions of my trusted comrades, assassins and Survey Corp alike. In the end no one ever knew what the outcome would be. So I guess…you have to do your best to make a decision that you won't regret."

Levi had enough of the panic Eren was spreading through the squad. Even he started to panic, which was not good for the squad's chances of getting through this alive. He dared not look back. Even as soldiers died behind them by the hands of the oncoming Titan, he dared not look back. Even as panic spread through his squad, he dared not look back.

 _If I look back, I am lost._

After a moment's hesitation Eren lowered his hand. What Levi had said were the words he needed to hear.

"I will keep going!" Eren yelled at the top of his lungs.

Levi smirked, for he had stalled the boy. He caught sight of the new mechanics Hange had been working on. He flashed Erwin a look as they passed, and as the Female Titan passed, they had her caught.

"Make your way back to the main group without me. I leave my horse in your care. Make sure nothing happens to her, or suffer the consequences." With that Levi launched into the trees to stand next to the commander.

"You did that on purpose." Levi commented, knowing full well that Erwin would understand he meant hiding his true intentions in this mission.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Erwin flashed a goofy smile.

"Bullshit." He breathed out, looking down at the captured Titan. "But it was a good plan. Eren almost lost his shit a while back."

"Good to see he didn't. I take it you're the one responsible?"

"You could say that."

When his squad left after gathering their bearings, Levi watched them go. His chest tightened. The bad feeling he had the night before swept through full swing. He ignored it when Erwin ordered it was time to cut her out. He timed it with Mike, and together they swung down.

Their blades broke, her hands covered in crystal armor. Now pissed, Levi carefully made his way on top of her head. He felt a dark part of him rise, the part of him he kept away and hide from everyone else. His knees shook as he lost himself.

"Oh right…I wanted to ask you something. Can we cut off your hands and legs? They'll grow back right? And I am talking about _your_ limbs, not the Titan's. For every death you caused, I will ensure you remember each and every one of them. How about scars?"

He felt the muscles underneath him tense.

"Don't worry, I won't let the scars kill you. We need you alive after all. But in the end, you will wish you could join the very people you killed in blissful, sweet death..."

She screamed with all her might.

Levi covered his ears, he could feel the vibrations of her scream resonate through the air, echoing through the entire forest. Within a short amount of time titans swarmed them. Levi scrambled back into the trees, barely avoiding being eaten. He tried cutting them down, but there were too many as they swarmed and began eating the Female Titan.

As they moved on and the devoured body dissipated, Levi overwhelmed. They were so close, they had her. And then she went and did that. It was hard to tell if the human body had escaped or not. There was too much damage.

"I should get back to my squad."

"Wait, Levi."

He looked up at Erwin, confused.

"Refill your gas and replace your blades before you go."

"But I have enough to get by. They're not far. Unless you think…"

 _She's still alive. And her target is Eren._

"I will put my faith in you, Erwin." Levi found he couldn't refuse those eyes. He made his way down to refill and exchanged blades.

As he followed the direction they took, it wasn't long before he heard the lightning strike the forest. It was the sign Hange had warned him about. That for each time a chemical Titan transformed, there was lightning.

The sound came from a different direction.

He changed his focus to follow where the sound had come from. It was easy to guess it was the Female Titan. He had also been warned that Eren had the habit of roaring before he fought as a Titan.

Before too long he came across the damage one by one. His heart pounded, unable to stop and grieve for them. And yet, he paused when he came upon Petra. He stared, blinking slowly. Her young, sweet face, caught in a panic and brief hint of pain before passing.

There would be no more smiles. No more perfect food just the way he liked it. No more tea made for him in the morning. No more days she would constantly worry over him. Always there for him even though he needed space. And as he stared, his heart breaking, he saw flashes of Isabel's face.

 _Once again, I have to continue living while others die around me._

He snapped out of it when he heard a roar. The voice was considerably deeper than the Female's scream. As the guilt washed over him he continued onward. His movements felt heavy as he hurried after the sound of fighting. Soon as the fight echoed the forest it stopped, followed by eerie silence.

He sped up. They had lost the Female Titan. They could not afford to lose Eren. Not at the shaky critical stage of keeping him alive and remain part of the Survey Corp. He could hear the footsteps of a Titan running. Her pace was a lot slower than before.

 _Good. She's tiring. Now if only there was one other person nearby to distract her._

He caught sight of a familiar form trying to cut her down. But the Female Titan was too fast. Despite the lower amount of energy, she was pacing herself to have spurts of speed when she needed it.

"Mikasa." He called out, and he caught up to her. Her face was distraught and livid.

"She has Eren in her mouth!" Mikasa informed him.

"I see. So we have to take the chance whether he's still alive or not."

"What are you saying!?" She looked at him, her eyes dark.

"I mean, it's time to start our mission on rescuing Eren. Our objective is not to kill her. We can plan for that later. Right now we have to focus getting Eren back." Levi stared down at her, his eyes hard and cold.

"…What do you want me to do?"

"Distract her long enough for me. Let me be the one to cut her up. Allow me to cut him out of her filthy mouth."

"But…!"

"Do you trust me, Mikasa? I can get him out. If she knows Eren, then she knows you. But she _doesn't know me_." Levi lowered his voice to a growl, eyes glaring into her own dark pair.

 _She might be an Ackerman, but she got her stubbornness and irrational action from Eren._

Her gaze wavered. And once again he saw what Erwin meant, and he was right. Levi was the storm they needed to admire and follow. She looked away to glare at the Female Titan and nodded.

"I will do my best!"

With that Mikasa went in, aiming for the legs. Seeing her, the Female Titan tried to stomp her. Taking his chance, Levi attacked. He twirled circles, cutting from the ankles up. As he went up he replaced the now dull blades with fresh new ones, and began circling and rolling on her arm and up to the shoulder. His teeth grit as he pulled the blades up and stabbed into her eyes so deep the blades were buried in them.

After the steaming hot blood stopped spraying he retracted, leaving the blades in the eye sockets. He watched with pleasure as the Female Titan leaned back against a tree, both arms covering her vulnerable spot on the neck.

 _Oh we can't have that, now. I said I will be cutting off your hands and legs. Let me demonstrate._

He went in with another pair of blades with all of his speed, slicing up her thighs up the chest and both arms. He about near smiled wickedly when her arms slumped to her sides. Then he caught sight of Mikasa going in for the kill.

"No! Mikasa!" Levi saw an arm raise, though the arm couldn't bend right, that wrist was going to squish her.

Without thinking he pushed her back against a tree, and then proceeded to use his leg to protect them.

 _Crack!_

Wincing, he quickly pulled them out before that arm could have another go. He resisted the urge to slap her for her stupidity.

"But I could have ended her!"

"I told you now is not the time! She would have killed you! Ackerman or not, I'm not losing anyone else when I can intervene!" He must have finally gotten his point across when she backed off.

Acting quickly, as he saw that she was rapidly healing, Levi turned back and sliced her cheeks. With steam clearing there was Eren, unconscious and covered in Titan spit. He grabbed the boy with one arm and flew. They headed back towards the area Erwin wanted to reunite.

"Eren!" Mikasa drew up close.

"He's alive. I can feel him breathe." Levi assured her, trying not to be effected by how filthy the slime was.

When they cleared the tree line, they saw the rest of the Survey Corp some short distance away. They had recovered a lot of bodies. At the base of the tree line he caught sight of his mare and the rest of his squad's mounts. Quickly he lowered himself down to them, strapping Eren on a random horse.

"Choose whatever horse you need. Help me make sure he doesn't fall."

"What about your squad?" Mikasa inquired.

"They're dead. Now, let's get going." Levi did his best not to allow his voice to crack telling the news, and despite his broken leg he used it to pull himself up onto the saddle. Mikasa got up on another horse, and together they urged the third horse to keep up. The remaining horses without a rider followed without hesitation.

Upon reuniting at the main group everyone circled around Eren. All of them felt relieved to see him alive and not in the hands of the enemy. Then sorrow swept over them when noticing Levi returned without his squad. The short captain informed Erwin the area where the bodies were. Despite the risk of running into the Female Titan again, Erwin sent a squad to retrieve the bodies.

When a number of bodies were recovered, and the sun was beginning to set, Erwin began preparation for their return. Levi limped his way over to where he saw Petra's body, and stood there. Erwin noted the limp, but kept it to himself. He wasn't the only one who noticed.

Mikasa had watched him, and seeing the limp, and him favoring the leg he used to protect them she felt a wave of guilt.

 _It's because of me he's injured. This might have been his first expedition, but his power and speed are unmatched._

Levi might be out of the next expedition as he recovered. It would be a devastating blow to the Survey Corp. She had witnessed first hand that they needed him. She was now understanding why Erwin wanted him.

Despite knowing full well he could reset his own leg, Levi didn't. He was too overwhelmed by grief and guilt. And when they had to dump the bodies to ward off titans, for the first time he looked back. He looked back to see Petra's head peeking through the wrapped blanket as her body was dumped for titan fodder.

It was the first and final time he looked back.

=3=

Death: I know, longest chapter so far. To be honest, I didn't know at what point to end it. And I wanted it a little longer because soon my only source of updating will be out of service. And it won't be back up until the third of next month. So please, enjoy the extra treat of long chappie.

And please forgive me for using a line from _A Song of Ice and Fire: A Dance with Dragons_. It was fitting, and it was something I noticed in the anime. For the entire time Annie was almost upon them, he never looked back. And yet he looked back to see Petra being discarded.

Powerful meaning there.

Anyway, please leave a review.


	7. The Result of Imprinting

Death: Someone promised me to make this chapter better. Since chapter Five was traumatizing and then the last one was heart wrenching.

Also, I found a way to remain online for a short. Hopefully, this should be enough cheating to continue to update. Since I have finished this chapter so fast, and already started chapter eight.

 **Warning:** Mentions of sexual abuse, rape, use of toys against one's will, underage sexual abuse, underage rape, all of that lovely stuff that can be triggers. If you can't handle it, please speed through until you see no mention of such dark shit.

 **Chapter Seven** The Result of Imprinting

=3=

That night, during a silent and depressing dinner, Levi didn't join the few that ate. Instead, after much time in his room sulking and crying out his guilt, he wobbled his way towards the office. He knocked on the door and didn't bother an answer, as was his usual routine.

By now Erwin was used to this from him. And as far as everyone was concerned, Levi was the only one to get away with this. Since the commander didn't complain or reprimand him for that rudeness, the former assassin continued the action. Now, usually Erwin was working on papers.

This time around he was staring down at the list of the dead.

Erwin only noticed the other presence when the sound of limping and scraping of boots were close to him. He looked up, his eyes weary and red. There was a hint of surprise on his face to see him there.

"You haven't fixed your leg. I saw you limping earlier, before our return."

"It happened when I stopped that bitch from killing Mikasa. And even though I know how to reset bones, I was told never to do your own legs. Arms or anything else but spine or legs need to be done by someone else or the chances of putting them back wrong would cause more harm."

"Ah, so you came to me for help."

"That, and I know you need an ear. But let me start by apologizing for the shit I said last night. It was tasteless of me, and it was shitty timing."

There was a tense moment of silence. Erwin took a deep breath and sighed. He motioned for Levi to move the chair closer. He did so without hesitation and sat down in it. He was still in full uniform, minus the cloak, he had used it earlier to cover Eren earlier. He wasn't fond of the slime stains. Levi offered up his broken leg.

"I forgive you. I have to remember that it's just you. You have no problem telling a situation as it is. And I have to remind myself not to be upset about it, because it's a part of who you are. And I have to be honest, it's quite refreshing sometimes." Erwin spoke softly as he carefully removed the boot.

 _How can he forgive me so easily?_

"You don't hate me?" Levi blinked in surprise.

"How can I hate you, Levi?" Erwin looked up with a fond expression.

 _Why does my chest hurt when looks at me like this?_

"I will make this as quick as possible." Erwin warned as his hands were placed where they needed to be. "One, two…three!"

 _Crick. Crack!_

Levi screamed as he gripped the chair with all his strength. He sat there shaking as the pain ebbed away into slow throbbing. He opened his eyes to Erwin gently rubbing the tender muscles around the break.

"Should I be worried I can't feel shit in that leg now?"

"That's your nerves going into shock. If it doesn't clear in a few hours, then you might have nerve damage from prolonging setting it back in place."

"No, I can feel the throbbing. But now I can't even feel pain or the touch of my pants."

"Is it only from the knee down?" Erwin seemed concerned now.

"I don't know." Levi felt his throat tightened, he was frightened at what was happening.

"I am going to apply gentle pressure on different points. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Let me know when you feel the pressure."

With a gulp Levi closed his eyes, focusing on shaky breaths. His brows knitted as a few minutes went by. Before his mind started to panic, he felt a light pressure on his knee.

"I feel a light pressure."

There was a pause. Then the large hand raised to a few inches above the knee. The pressure, although gentle, was deeper than before. It also happened to be a spot that did things to him. Levi chocked back a moan, which only came out as a whimper of pleasure. Almost immediately the hand retracted. Levi opened his eyes with a gasp, about to plead that it didn't stop, but as soon as their eyes met words failed him.

 _Why is this happening?_

"Levi, the light pressure you felt on your knee is the same amount as your thigh, as well as the ankle up your calf. It looks like you waited too long to have me fix this. The majority of your nerves are dead from the knee down. Only time will tell if it's permanent or not."

There was worry in those eyes. And maybe a hint of something else. Levi couldn't identify the emotion, for as quickly as it flickered, it was gone. Erwin stared at him with all seriousness.

"What are your sexual preferences?"

"…Where is this shit coming from?" Levi did not expect that question, for it was so out of blue he didn't know how to respond.

"Do you prefer males or females? I'm only asking because of the sound you made. And for the most part I have noticed you ignored any chances you could have had with Petra. And yet you don't care about Eren's crush on you."

"That little shit has a crush on me?" Levi was in utter disbelief at the news.

"You're avoiding the question here."

"No, I'm not. It's just that I hadn't noticed." Levi shrugged. "And I have no preference, however I feel more attracted to males. I haven't had much time to explore. Why are you asking me these questions?"

 _This is all so sudden...why is he asking me of this subject in the first place?_

"Yesterday, when you offered to be the one person I could fall back on almost sounded like a confession."

"I don't understand the shit that's spewing out of your mouth, Eyebrows."

Erwin sighed, hand to his face. "Okay, have you had any sexual experiences?"

"Not counting training, only a few."

"With what gender?"

"Male. What's the point of this, shit?"

"What about during training? And please inform me what that means."

"…In order to be an assassin, we have to endure torture. In our training that includes mentally, emotionally, physically and finally, sexually."

 _Why am I telling him this? Is it because he's the commander or…because I trust him that much?_

"Explain."

"Before you jump into conclusions, but even Kenny had his own shitty sense of honor. My uncle never crossed that boundary. He only used toys or something that was safe for me. He started this when I was fourteen. This sort of thing usually started at thirteen, but he waited a year because I had no growth spurt since I was ten."

"So what does this have to do with your sexual partners?"

"Everything. Let me explain. I hated it at first. The pain was unbearable, and Kenny didn't exactly tell me how sex worked, or what was considered the norm, or even where babies came from. He just put me through that shit. Plain and simple. Eventually I started to enjoy it. When I came over his clothes with pleasure, he stopped that part of training altogether."

"So you're saying as long as they dominate you, then that's what you enjoy?"

"No, it's the fact someone has to have full control of me. But I'm not going down without a fight. I don't make it easy. Farlan was the first to ever pull that off. However, there was one other key factor."

"What is that?"

"There was one incident where I was kidnapped by a fellow assassin. He found out I got off from torture, and he wanted to control me. I guess he wanted to use me or some shit to control Kenny. Anyway, I turn him down. Eventually he kidnaps me. Even with the torture it…"

Levi bit his lip. His body shook as repressed memories were brought into light. Edwin patiently waited as the former assassin gathered himself. Levi took a deep breath and continued.

"It hurt. It hurt so much. And somehow Kenny found out what was going on and located us. He took one look at me and shot the bastard in the head without a second thought. He then told me never to trust anyone, not even our own, not even him. And so I learned that it took trust in order to allow someone full control in bed with me."

 _Why am I telling him this so easily? And why am I terrified he would discard me after learning this part of me I tried so hard to keep hidden? I never tell my secrets so easily. So why…?_

"So you grew up without trusting anyone. So why did you trust me that first night?"

"…I don't know. You showed me something I never saw anyone do for me. No one considered what I thought, how I felt. And you, you offered me trust. I took it because…because I…"

 _I wanted to know what it felt like._

"It felt like a weight had been lifted for the first time in years. And the day you allowed me to use my gear…I never felt so free…I realized that you were trusting me to not run away, as you showed me what freedom felt like. And for some reason, I didn't care about your pretty words and ridiculous ideals."

 _I realized that you caught me a second time. And I was fine with that._

"And you were considerate of my feelings when I woke up. You were quick to calm me down, relying on that same foolish trust that I wouldn't kill you. You forged papers for me, you believed in me to be a good captain. How can you trust a monster like me? I have countless lives I am responsible for. And yet you so easily throw your trust at me. Why!?"

Levi stared hard into Erwin's eyes, blinking back tears. These were questions he wanted to ask since they first met. There wasn't a time or place to inquire until now. And for some reason, he was terrified. He was afraid to lose this man's trust. The only reason why he was here at all.

"I trust you because I saw someone ready to break. I could tell you were ready for death, and tried to take me down with you. I don't understand why you hesitated when you did, but that was the sole reason why I took a chance and showed you my trust. And to my surprise, you responded well. From there everything has been a roll downhill. The more I showed how much faith I had in you, you responded in kind."

 _That's it? That's his reasoning?_

"So because I hesitated you trusted me? But why trust a monster in the first place?"

"You once told me you were taken in by your uncle. And then he raised you into his profession. By the sound of it, you weren't given a choice. I don't see you as a monster. Levi, I see you as someone who is lost and confused on where home is."

"And you trust me so much that I won't kill you here and now?"

"I believe you won't make an attempt to do so. You don't have it in you."

 _He's right. I don't have it in me. I lost the urge to slice his throat the day Kenny showed up._

"…Why are you doing this to me? It feels like…it feels like some shitty attempt of mental and emotional torture. And the shitty part? It's fucking working! I can endure anything else. But what you're doing…Erwin, it's not fair."

For the first time Levi broke eye contact. He stared at the floor, instead of at the blues that held the sky. He always made a point to keep eye contact with Erwin, but he couldn't take it anymore. His carefully sculptured mask was cracking. At this point he couldn't understand where they stood. His chest was tearing up inside for the second time that day, it was becoming unbearable.

"Forgive me. I shouldn't have inquired about those things." Erwin embraced the shaking form, noting how Levi fit perfectly in his arms.

For a moment Levi stood there, shocked by the action. However, he sensed that Erwin wasn't toying with him, and the embrace felt warm. Cautiously Levi raised his arms up to return it. His hands balled into fists as they held onto the commander's shirt. Compared to all the times Farlan embraced him, this wasn't awkward or forced because they were lovers. Erwin embraced him out of compassion, as words couldn't reassure him that their trust was not shattered.

 _I feel safe with him. His kindness scares me, but not to the extent of anxiety. Once again he caught me in his web._

It was the first time Levi felt so relaxed he unintentionally fell asleep like this. Body and mind had already been exhausted before the intense conversation had occurred. After a few minutes Erwin realized the corporal was asleep.

 _I don't know if this is going to result in a breach of his trust, but I'm too exhausted to carry him to his room._

Decision made, the commander carefully adjusted the sleeping form to be carried bridal style with his head resting against his shoulder. And without waking him up Erwin blew out the candle and made his way to the adjoined bedroom to his office. The bed wasn't enough to accommodate for two, so Erwin laid down with Levi placed partially on top of him.

 _I have a suspicion I may have imprinted on him that night. His unwavering trust with me earlier was a test. Although it wasn't my intention, it happened. I hope this doesn't end with tragedy for either of us._

Not sure if this would be his only chance, Erwin snuck an arm around the tiny waist and held the sleeping form close. Within minutes the commander was asleep from his own exhaustion and stress.

=3=

Levi woke up to someone knocking in the distance. He blinked, not wanting to move from the warm bed. It took him a moment to realize there was another body in the bed. Upon fully opening his eyes, he realized he wasn't in his own bedroom. He looked over to see a still sleeping Erwin.

Heart racing, Levi cautiously tried to get off the bed. He was unsuccessful however when the arm around his waist tightened its hold on him. At this point he was now on top of the broad chest, his face buried in between shoulder and neck. Erwin's scent flooded his nose and it started things. This that shouldn't be normal between them.

 _What is wrong with me? This is Erwin!_

Then there was a part of him that wanted this. Why not Erwin? His trust went deeper than he thought possible. Last night proved that. He heard someone walk in the office.

 _Shit! My boot is still in there!_

Levi started squirming as panic swept over him. The arm that held him was like an iron bar. He started breathing heavily into that neck as he heard footsteps coming closer to the door that lead into the office.

" _Erwin_ …!" Levi whispered as softly as he could, his voice muffled by the man's collar.

"Commander?" Hange knocked once again on the door.

In a blind panic Levi reached the collar with one hand, unbuttoning it and pulled it down far enough for him to lean in for a bite. No amount of squirming or pleading would wake the commander up. In an instant the hold of his middle was tightened and he was flipped over on his back with a soft gasp. He opened his eyes to Erwin staring down at him, their faces close. Levi was too lost in those eyes to blush from the close proximity.

"Commander Erwin? Are you okay?" Hange opened the door.

Everyone held their breath, staring without blinking at each other. Levi wasn't looking at Hange, he didn't even care at this point, he was too focused on Erwin. A faint blush crept on the scientist's face as they were the first to recover. The blush intensified when Erwin stared hard at the squad leader.

 _No, pay attention only to me..._

Levi didn't understand why his mind wanted the commander to focus solely on him for the moment.

"I'll just wait in the office. Oh and commander, you might want to button your collar to hide that bite mark on your neck." Hange giggled and closed the door.

When the door closed, Erwin raised his free hand to feel over his neck. Feeling the mark, he glared down at the former assassin. Sudden worry filled Levi's head, as his eyebrows knitted that this was the end of their trust. Seeing the worry, Erwin wordlessly pulled the ascot, undoing it and then proceeded to unbutton the collar.

"What are you doing…?" Levi didn't like exposing his neck, not just because of the scars of other assassins attempted to kill him. The neck was a vulnerable spot even for humans, and he did not like making himself vulnerable. And yet he didn't raise a hand against the commander on top of him.

"Payback." Was all Erwin said before he went in for a sharp bite on the small neck.

Levi gasped as his neck arched from the pain. For whatever reason he turned his head to expose his neck even more, eyes closed as pain and pleasure flooded his body. His hands gripped at the commander's upper arms.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Erwin. I was only trying to wake you up. I couldn't move…ah! _Erwin_!" Levi squirmed when the commander clamped harder on the presented neck.

At that whimper Erwin withdrew and stood up from the bed, as it did things to him. He didn't want to push anything further without talking it over with Levi later. And perhaps he was afraid this was going too fast. He leaned in and their foreheads touched.

"I need to speak to you later. After your chores are done. I think I may have unintentionally imprinted on you the night we first met. I want to explain to you further about my theory. But right now we both have work to do."

 _Imprinted…? Like how animals learn social behaviors from their parents?_

"Humans can imprint…?"

"I'll explain later. You should fix your collar. There's a mirror next to the dresser if you need it to fix your ascot." Erwin informed as he fixed his own collar.

"I still have a boot in your office." Levi reminded him, lifting up his leg that didn't have a matching boot.

"I'll bring it in for you. I'm pretty sure everyone has noticed you've slept in."

"I can walk in there and get it myself. I have to threaten Hange anyway." Levi got up and followed the commander, his hands making quick work of the collar and ascot.

"Hello cuties! Sorry I interrupted your moment of…" Hange's greeting was cut off when Levi grabbed them by the collar.

"If you say one word about what you saw, I swear to you in the name of science you will wish you were dead when I'm through torturing you, Shitty Glasses." The corporal growled under his breath, his eyes cold.

"I swear in the name of science I won't say a word! I'm not the type to gossip about that sort of thing anyway! I am not that evil, I can only be evil if it's in the name of science! But I won't tell anyone~" Hange noticed something peeking out of the rushed work of the collar. They decided not to comment on it just to see Levi squirm.

 _My bet was on Erwin when Jean made bets with everyone who gets laid with Levi. Looks like I win._ Hange had a theory about something, something they noticed early on when Levi first became part of them.

Convinced Hange wouldn't say a word, Levi let go of their collar. He made his way to the chair and grabbed his boot to put it on.

"Oh, Erwin. I need a new cape."

"What happened to your first one? I'll still order it, but I need to know why."

"It's covered in Titan spit. I tried to wash it out last night but the texture feels weird and shit. So I just gave it back to Eren since it was partially his fault it was covered in slime."

Well, he more or less threw it at the boy's face while he was trying to eat dinner, but he was only messing with his food. Levi then hobbled his way back up the stairs to the commander's office. That was the only time he got out of his bedroom after crying his eyes out and tried to take his stress out on cleaning the cloak. Frustrated it wasn't getting out he decided to keep his word and visit Erwin.

"I'll put in the order. Oh, and please take it easy on that leg. If you over work it, I'll be forced to put you off from the next mission. Your skills are needed in the war against titans." Erwin cautioned, as he thought over Mikasa's verbal report yesterday. She felt so bad for his leg she couldn't simply wait to write down her report for Erwin.

 _I wish he had been part of us for the past five years. If he is that much skill and speed, we would have been much further than we are now. But with the combination of him and Eren, plus the talent of the fresh recruits, this will be a lot easier. If only we didn't have the Female Titan as an obstacle…_

There was a nervous knock on the door, interrupting the commander's thoughts.

"Come in."

The door opened to a nervous Armin and an expressionless Mikasa. Levi stood up, about to leave with Hange.

"Wait, you guys can stay. This might concern you guys, and we need your opinions on what Armin has to say. He might have a hunch on who the Female Titan is. Go on Armin, tell them what you told me."

"Well…I can't be a hundred percent sure, but I think it's someone from our class. Her name is Annie Leonhart, she's a member of the Military Police in the inner city."

=3=

After listening to all of Armin's theories, all of them thought one thing. It made sense. And they thought that maybe Eren knew too, as he knew her style of fighting. Maybe that was why he was taken down so easily in his Titan form, and when pressed about it he denied what he saw.

So, with so little evidence Erwin began planning how to take her down with Armin's help. Levi for the most part stayed out of it, for it was unknown if he would be any help at all with his leg. Despite the warning he continued cleaning with breaks every few hours.

When he was sweeping the kitchen while a few others worked on the dishes and planning what to make for lunch, his leg acted up. Although he couldn't feel pain, he couldn't move it. He gripped the broom tightly, almost breaking it under pressure. When he hissed in frustration, the two closest to him looked at him in worry.

"You should take it easy with that leg. The commander warned all of us to keep an eye on you." Reiner warned him, his voice filled with worry.

 _I don't trust you._

"I'm fine. I know my limits. After this chore is done, I'm going to make some tea and sit down."

Eren blinked, noticing something peeking out of the collar and not so neat ascot. He had just walked in and the first thing he saw was the sight of Levi, and then his eyes drew to the ascot for it wasn't as neat as it usually was, as if it was rushed. Then he saw a dark mark peeking out from underneath the collar.

"Um, captain? There's a bruise on your neck. Where did that come from?" Eren innocently asked, eyes glued to the dark, fresh bruise.

In an instant everyone in the kitchen stared at the short man with surprise and interest. Levi quickly covered his neck, silently cursing the brat and Hange. He saw their expression of high interest on his neck earlier.

"Ooooooh, short stuff has a hickey! Short stuff has a hickey!" Jean grinned. "So, who's the lucky person?"

"No one! It's none of your business anyway!" Levi had lowered his face, his bangs overshadowed his eyes.

"Enough of that, Jean. It won't do you any good to pester him." Reiner warned, knowing full well what a cornered animal looked like. In his eye he saw the former assassin cornered, and it was not a good sign.

"C'mon! We all made bets on who gets him! Now, who is it, Levi? Tell us!" Jean ignored the warning from the taller recruit and slung an arm over the tiny shoulders.

 _They did what…?_

Levi was suddenly livid. His shoulders shook with rage. Jean mistook it for something else.

"No need to cry about it, jeez.

"Um, I don't think he's crying…" Eren leaned over for a better look at the overshadowed face.

Suddenly Levi dropped the broom and grabbed hold of the arm around his shoulders. He then yanked on the arm he had a death grip on and flung Jean over his head and onto the ground, almost hitting Eren but the brat had quickly jumped back. The thud echoed through the first floor of the castle. A few stopped what they were doing and peeked into the kitchen.

"What did Jean do this time?" Sasha blinked, the first one to speak up.

"He let slip about the bets. And Levi just flipped him over his head and onto the floor." Reiner explained, going back to the dishes.

"I think he fainted…" Eren blinked, poking his rivals cheek.

"How many of you filthy shits made bets!?" Levi glared at everyone in sight. The people in the kitchen quickly went back to work on their chores. The few that peeked in scrambled back to their own cleaning. Even Eren bolted out of the kitchen, carrying the still dirty dishes in his arms.

"All of you shits made bets?"

When no one responded Levi let go of the arm he had been holding, kicked Jean in the ribs and stomped his way out of the kitchen. He threw off his apron, gloves, and mask as he went. Everyone he came close to immediately stepped out of his way, some nearly ran for it. Levi slammed the door behind him as he went outside.

His mind was fuming, and he didn't bother with a saddle or bridle as he made his way to Stella's stall. He just put the halter hung beside her door, put it on, and then lead her outside. Halfway out a few people were running after him to apologize. Not wanting to hear excuses he leaped on the mares back, heels dug into her sides and she galloped off with a snort. He didn't even have time to use tie the lead rope to the opposite side to be a makeshift bridle.

Despite no bridle, his mount responded well with just a firm squeeze with one leg to the direction of the exercise route for horse and rider that lead through forest, some hills, and then a small mountain path that circled back to the castle. After clearing the patch of forest he gently pulled her mane to slow her down to a trot. Hills were not good going full speed.

When they reached the mountain path he pulled the mare into a brisk walk. By now she was sweating, breathing loud and heavy from the exercise after yesterday's work. She was still tired from the expedition the day before. Levi rubbed her sticky neck, her coat shining under the sun.

"Forgive me for the sudden run, girl. I needed to get away from the idiots before I killed them over something stupid. I promise we will take a break when we reach the stream." Her ear turned back to listen to his words. She snorted, eager to reach to stream he had mentioned.

Within almost a mile they came upon the stream. It wasn't as wide as it should have been, but it was summer and the heat reached the mountains before the valley below. It was still wide enough for them to enjoy the cool fresh water. He slipped off the slippery back, the coat still covered in sweat.

Levi undid the ascot, and first dipped it in the cold water as the mare drank greedily. With the ascot soaking wet he began to rub it along her neck and shoulder. Stella leaned against his touch, grateful for the cold cloth cooling her down. When the cloth warmed up he dipped it back in the stream, swirling it around before going back to rubbing the mare down.

He was doing this to prevent her from rolling in the stream. He wouldn't mind if the bottom was soft mud, but here at this point of the stream was all rocks. And a good few of them were sharp and edgy. It would be bad if she got a cut somewhere and get infected before they made it back to the stables. Slowly and surely Levi rubbed her entire body down, rubbing her sore legs and her head last.

"You're lucky I'm doing this. I never dirty my ascot like this, but you're too important to me." Levi then removed his boots, socks, vest and shirt. He neatly folded them on a large, flat boulder.

The stream wasn't very deep so he sat in it, being mindful of the sharp rocks. He used the same ascot to cool down his own overheating body. When goosebumps covered his arms and torso, he finished by dunking his head under for a few seconds. He came back up and shook his head. As he checked to make sure Stella hadn't gone far, she was licking the salt off a rock when he caught sight of another horse making its way up to them.

 _That's a pale grey. The only person who rides a pale grey is…Erwin…_

At the realization Levi scrambled out of the stream and began to put the rest of his clothes on. He started with the white shirt and vest before moving on with his socks and boots. He had just finished putting the second boot on when Erwin came up on him. His expression was stern and his eyes piercing.

"You had me worried when I saw you rode off. I had to put an end to the plans with Armin and Hange when you didn't come back after an hour. I followed the hoof prints, and you're here enjoying the stream. I was afraid you had left us after learning why you ran off like that." Erwin's voice was deep, hidden with worry, frustration, and concern.

"To be honest, I thought about it." Levi watched as the commander got off his mount.

"What made you change your mind?" Erwin lead his horse closer to Stella, and the pair shared the large rock to lick off the salt and minerals.

Levi watched the horses carefully, noting his mare's playful nip. Erwin's horse playfully nipped back, before lowering his head to the rock once more. Then it hit Levi that horses usually didn't share rock salts together. And the pair looked like they were flirting.

"I stayed because of you. As I thought over everything, I find myself not wanting to leave your side." Levi spoke with such softness, all of Erwin's anger slipped away.

"I thought that, if I couldn't come back, it would hurt me more. The thought of breaking the trust we've built, it wouldn't be fair. I couldn't find it within myself not to break that trust." Levi's well guarded stormy eyes stared right into Erwin's eyes, almost seeing through the commander.

"Explain to me about your theory about imprinting me. I understand the concept with animals, but not with humans. I honestly didn't think it even happened with humans."

"First let me ask a series of questions. And I want you to answer me honestly."

"I never lie to you. Go ahead, ask away."

"Do you trust me, even if I don't give you all the information in my plans in every expedition?"

"Yes. I figured out you were drawing out another Titan like Eren, and set up a trap for them."

"Would you trust me, even if I had to sacrifice so many lives for the fight for humanity?"

"I loathe the amount of pointless casualties, but I will still trust you. I have faith of the bigger picture of your dream."

"Will you still have faith in me if I ever gave you the order to die for me, if it was needed in this war?"

"Yes. I would die for you should you order it of me. But mind you, I'm taking down all my enemies with me. Being a former assassin, no because of my _pride_ I will not die in a pathetic and useless way. I have to die fighting."

 _He said that without hesitation. Without even thinking over the answer, he answered unwaveringly._

"I need to ask you a favor. In the field, promise me something. If there is _ever_ a situation where you were to die, promise me that you will do _everything_ in your power to ensure you lived."

"That's a hard promise to make, Erwin."

"Then I order it. That is an order, do you understand me? The thought of you throwing your life away, whether or not you took titans down with you, it still comes down to the fact it's because of my orders you died. I can't stand that thought, I can't take that kind of pain. That because of me, you died. Now promise me." Erwin narrowed his eyes, as he stared hard at the shorter man.

"…I promise, sir." Levi swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Last question. If you were to choose, from the whole Survey Corp, to satisfy your sexual cravings, who would you choose?"

At that, Levi blinked. He stood up with slight bit of difficulty, as his leg was still sore, he slowly walked up to Erwin. He reached up and pulled the man down for their lips to touch. After a moment Erwin wrapped his arms around Levi in a tight embrace. They remained like this, both too afraid to deepen it should it get too far and too fast for their comfort. Slowly Erwin pulled back.

"I was right. I imprinted on you. Your unwavering trust and faith in me is unconditional. I was the first person to gain your trust, showing you kindness, something you lacked your entire life. And you latched onto that act of kindness, depended on that trust for your life even as you hated me at first. You saw what I could give you for staying, and that enticed you even more. And since then, your trust in me grew. You can't even stand the thought of breaking my trust."

 _It's true. It's all true. Although I can't understand why this is happening so fast, but I have a growing need for him. This man is my home now. For the first time in my life, I have someone I can rely on without doubt._

He gasped when a large hand gripped his hair and pulled his head back, then a now familiar pair of lips met his, a tongue shoving into his open mouth. With shaking hands Levi tightened his grip on the broad shoulders. As his chest began to tighten in the need for air his knees buckled from under him. Erwin pulled back with a sly smile as he caught the shorter figure, watching with satisfaction as Levi breathed heavily.

"Let's head back to headquarters. I would like your help on the plans to capture Annie. Would you mind if we rode back together on my horse? I'm afraid of the strain on your leg you put on it today."

Levi nodded, still catching his breath. Sneaking another brief kiss, Erwin pulled Levi to his feet. Together they got up on the pale grey horse, Levi holding his mare's lead rope and together they rode back the path they came from. It was too late in the afternoon to complete the full circle around.

As they rode together, Erwin keeping one arm wrapped around the tiny waist, Levi tentatively put his left hand over the much larger one. And with his other hand, while still holding the lead rope, he took the other side of the rein. Together they worked on directing the grey stallion back to headquarters.

 _I hope we stay like this forever. I can't stand the thought of Erwin dying on me after making me promise that._

 _The shitty part is I can't go back on that promise, should a situation arise._

=3=

Death: There, for once a not so torturing and tear jerking chapter. If any of you don't wish for details of their first time together, please say so in the reviews and I'll just skip that part entirely. I plan on them taking this slow, even if they just got together.

Remember Erwin is more focused on capturing Annie, right now. He's the kind of man to wait until there's success after his hard work is paid off and then reaping the prize afterwards.

Please leave a review and help me decide whether to give you all a good show or let your imaginations have all the fun~


	8. The Fall of Annie, The Fall of Wall Rose

Death: And here is the show down. With some added drama and suspense.

 **Chapter Eight** The Fall of Annie, The Fall of Wall Rose

=3=

It was two weeks of careful planning before the Survey Corp initiated their mission Capture Annie, also known as the Female Titan. Even though Levi took it easy with his leg, Erwin urged he remained in the sidelines. Although he hated watching everything unfold and not be a part of it unless they needed his skills, Levi accepted the orders without a fuss.

This meant he stood on top of Wall Sina, overlooking the inner city below.

He was accompanied with three others, Krysta, Reiner, and Bertolt. He honestly didn't understand Erwin's logic being up here with them, other than babysit the three that had little to no family history.

 _Oh. That's why. He needs to see if they're in league with Annie. It is the for of them that I narrowed down for him. However, now it's down to three. I seriously doubt Annie is the one we're looking for._

And so the four stood on the wall, gazing down. They arrived here ten minutes before the mission was to begin. They were already cleared to be up here, however there was much confusion with the members of the Wall Garrison. An old man with wrinkly face, peppered blond hair that was fading came up to them.

"I know you were given the clear, but why are you up here? Aren't you guys supposed to take care of titans outside the walls instead of sight seeing?" He inquired, confused and worried. It was never a good sign in his book for a group from the Survey Corp to be on the wall, no matter how small.

"We are here to capture someone we believe to be the Female Titan." Levi glanced at the old man, eyes cold and piercing.

"Are you sure you want to tell him our plans, captain?" Reiner cleared his throat.

 _I don't trust you one bit. You remind me of a fox._

"Might as well warn them before shit gets out of hand. If he doesn't believe me, look down there. See the Military Police evacuating the citizens closest to the wall?" Levi pointed out the activity below.

The three members of the Garrison looked down. They could just barely see what he was talking about. They stared at the short man, unsure how he could see what was happening so well. They couldn't even make out the uniform insignia, the only trademark they could identify that they weren't Survey Corp were the forest green cloaks.

"Oh, it's started." Levi caught sight of the small group in the route they had planned ahead of time. He saw three hooded figures he knew to be Eren, Armin and Mikasa. He could just make out blond hair the was Annie.

"Wow, I can't even see them from up here. Your eyes must be incredible, captain." Bertolt commented.

"How can you see that far down? I can only see moving dots, like ants." Reiner inquired.

"I always had good eyes. There was a time I couldn't see when I was young. But after I turned ten, my sight came around. My uncle took me to a doctor for an explanation and he said my eyes weren't fully developed until I was ten for some reason." What Levi did leave out was the fact he felt a pinch in his arm before his eyes saw the light for the first time.

But he wasn't going to tell them that. Out of the three he brought with him, the only one he trusted was Krysta. He couldn't find it within himself to trust the boys, however. And he tried really hard for he liked them, their skills were good and they seemed to have a good head on their shoulders.

There was just this nagging feeling that won't go away the more he was around them.

"You, old man. Spread the word to ready the cannons. But don't use them unless the Female Titan is too close to the wall. This only as a precaution if she catches onto the trap we've set up." Levi didn't turn around, he was too focused on watching as the four neared the tunnel entrance.

 _I hate this part of the plan. It's too risky not being able to see what's going on. She has good instincts, she's not stupid._

He heard the old man order two of his own recruits make the run on opposite sides. When the old man looked back at the short man, there was suddenly a flash of lightning. And there, standing in the inner city, was the Female Titan. The old man stared in disbelief before looking back at the short man.

"…Who are you?"

"I am Corporal Levi Ackerman, Captain of the Special Forces Squad of the Survey Corp."

"I heard of you. You're the one that specializes in protecting Eren. But why are you up here instead of down there? Aren't those your comrades fighting her?" The old man pointed at the Female Titan as she fought off both Survey Corp and Military Police.

"My entire squad was decimated in the 57th Expedition outside the wall. They died bravely as they fought the Female Titan in order to protect Eren Yeager. At the moment I am a captain without a squad. And while fighting the bitch I sustained an injury that puts me out of this mission unless my skills are severely needed."

 _Where is Eren? Can he not transform? He hasn't come out from the tunnels but the other two are fighting her…_

"Why are you acting so cold and distant today? You're not your usual self, captain." Krysta inquired with worry.

"You're trying too hard to be a badass and impress these guys." Reiner pointed out.

"Shut it, all of you! I am not just here babysitting you sad lot! It's bad enough the commander is treating me like glass since my shitty leg injury." Levi snapped, just as he heard feet closing in on them.

"Now that's no way to treat your comrades. They were only showing their concern for you."

He looked over to see a new group of Wall Garrison came up. For the first time he looked away from the battle to meet the eyes of General Pixis. There was no mistaking the uniform and the bald head. His cold eyes met stern ones of the general, which suddenly held amusement.

"Forgive me, it slipped out before I could stop myself." Levi's voice changed to a young boy, nervously smiling and running a hand through his hair. As soon as the weird action and voice appeared, the cold collected captain came back and acted as if nothing happened.

 _Oh great, a possible mental case as a soldier. Is this why Erwin placed him up here?_

"I was told of the plan to capture a rogue Titan within the city. I wasn't sure if Erwin was bluffing, but I guess he wasn't. Now, I understand you are Corporal Levi, correct?"

"Yes, sir. And although we never met, I have heard a lot about you, General Pixis." Levi didn't salute.

"Hmm, I have heard quite a lot about you recently. Apparently you've been in the Survey Corp for five years was it? How is it I have only heard of your talents now?" The old bald headed coot stepped closer.

 _For an old man he is sharp. Erwin did warn not to underestimate him._

He was saved from answering the question when another lightning shook the city. Then the familiar roar of Eren's Titan form echoed from the city below. Levi stared, seeing the form for the first time.

 _Impressive for a brat. But can he fight her this time?_

"Oh, boy. Two titans fighting in the inner city. The damage is only going to be double now." Pixis commented.

"The question is whether he can take her down. He refuses to let go of the view that she was a friend. However, a friend doesn't turn against friends and kill their comrades." Levi spoke harshly.

 _He lost to her last time. Is he growing a backbone this time around?_

The two clashed, and Eren fought with more ferocity than normal. His movements were fast, as if he finally made up his mind to really fight her without holding back. And for some reason that frightened her. Levi smirked as the bitch attempted to get away from him.

 _She's losing her confidence to fight him. Good. He just might be able to take her down._

"Oho, there goes the church! We're all going to have an earful with that one. You guys planned this poorly, today is the day of worship from sunrise to sunset. Or was that intentional?" General Pixis laughed.

"I cannot confirm or deny such a thing. You'll have to take it up to Commander Erwin, he made the call."

"Well aren't you a smart one." The general commented.

They watched as Annie started to get the upper hand, but she was no match for his determination. His body suddenly burst into flames. And with increased amount of speed he caught up to her, tackling her into the bit of open space where members of the Survey Corp were forced to watch and not intervene. Levi realized that the bitch has been trying to make a run for it.

 _She's afraid. Soon she's going to be cornered. This is bad, that's when she manages to escape from us last time._

They all watched as the power struggle continued. Then she sent him into a building, damaging his head with her crystalized fists and the point of her elbow. Levi gripped the gear in his hands, debating whether to get involved or not. Then she sent a kick with her calf covered in crystal as a finishing blow.

He caught her leg in his mouth. And with another guttural roar he raked his teeth across her leg, somehow applying enough pressure to break the crystal armor that put her in advantage over him. She quickly made use of one arm and sent his already injured arm flying. Steam erupted from his shoulder, but he wasn't fazed. He roared again and she knocked him down for a few more seconds as she limped away.

He stumbled as he went after her, his remaining arm dislocated from being thrown into a building. He tried tackling her but she jumped, her fingers sharp crystal claws as she used them like a cat to climb the wall.

"Soldiers! Take aim!" General Pixis ordered, watching as she came closer.

"Hold fire, general." Levi advised, his eyes caught sight of Mikasa.

"You dare give orders to General Pixis? You are not a standing officer of the Wall Garrison!" A female with pale hair and glasses reprimanded him.

"Hold it, young miss. I see what he sees now. Look down." The old man said. She looked down just in time to see Mikasa had effectively sliced the Female Titan's fingers off.

The blond Titan fell with a crash, as she was already halfway up Wall Sina. It was enough for Eren to climb on top her, going absolute ballistic. He roared with anger, hurt, and betrayal. She attempted to get on her belly to crawl away from him.

 _Bad move. Your neck is vulnerable now._

However, Eren wouldn't let any of his fellow comrades close. Without the use of arms he started ripping at her flesh with his teeth. This behavior was unacceptable, and there was too great a risk of him killing her in the process. Without a second thought Levi sprung into action.

"Excuse me, I have to cut him open now."

This the only warning he said before leaping off the wall. He had several crucial seconds before Eren swallowed her. He was almost upon them when the brat exposed the human body from the Female Titan's neck. Levi swept in and with perfect slice the brat was half out of his own Titan body.

"Hey, don't go eating our witness." He hissed in annoyance.

The brat was already unconscious.

=3=

They all stood, staring at the dissipating bodies. Most of them were staring at the crystal cocoon around Annie. Hange did a few quick tests and proved that this was a lot stronger than the crystal armor Annie used in her Titan form.

The only ones not staring at the crystal cocoon were Mikasa and Levi. She was attending to Eren, who had a slight fever and still unconscious. The former assassin however, was staring at a far off distance. He caught strange movement from the corner of his eye, and now he was trying to focus on whatever it was.

"Hange, get your squad to start working on bringing that to headquarters. Let's see if that can fit in a cargo carriage." The commander was the first to gather his wits.

"Mikasa, gather a few people to keep guard over Eren. Keep an eye on that fever on the way back. Levi, I need you to…" Erwin drifted off when he caught sight of the corporal's eyes.

 _Why do they look like birds eyes?_

They were the same stormy blue grey, but the shape of the pupils and size of the irises were bigger. The pupils changed rapidly from small to large as Levi tried to locate something. Curious as to why the commander paused a few others glanced at the short man. But whatever Erwin saw, it had already disappeared and his eyes returned to normal.

"Commander we should get moving. Quickly." Levi stared at Erwin in the eye, ignoring the curious and confused look on his face.

"What, are your former group nearby?" Erwin dropped to a near whisper.

"They're not making any moves but they're watching. When we get back we need to lay low a few days."

Suddenly some people began freaking out and pointed at the wall. They looked up to see crumbling bits of the wall where Annie's claws had dug into were falling. A hole was formed. And right there was a sleeping eye. It suddenly opened and blinked, looking around rapidly.

"Is that a Titan!?" Some exclaimed.

"Cover it! Quickly! Before it fully awakens!" The pastor screamed. In an instant members of the Military Police took action. They used a large cloth and rope and covered the hole.

"I believe you and I should have a talk, pastor. You seem to know a lot about that Titan inside Wall Sina. Then again, you know a lot about the walls, don't you?" Erwin turned to face the religious leader.

"I will not give away any secrets! But know this, if that Titan had been exposed any longer by the light, everyone will be done for. You should just worry on the titans _outside_ the walls, not inside them. So go back to your fantasies of valor and fight for humanity." The man retorted, as he walked away with two members of Military Police followed him.

 _That is not a good sign. If we need information out of him we have to get through the unicorns. They're not an easy bunch when they're playing guard duty._

"Commander, with all due respect, we can deal with them later. Right now I'm concerned about certain onlookers." Levi wished not to say it out loud.

Erwin did not need to be told twice. It was unknown whether or not the assassins were in league with the religious figures or not. Levi always had a suspicion that they were when he had been a part of them, but there were certain jobs only for Kenny. And he noticed even the MP didn't bother with the investigations of their targets.

 _The longer I am away from them, the more I notice all the little things that don't add up._

There was little he could do about it now. Levi watched the shadows frequently as the Survey Corp cleaned up rather quickly before making their way back to headquarters. They had to make stops to rest the horses pulling the heavy crystal cocoon. Although it made traveling slow as they traveled across country, Erwin had them all stick together.

 _He doesn't want any accidents happen. And at the same token, with all of our numbers like this, even the best group of assassins won't overtake us. This is a good precaution._

What Levi didn't know was that his uncle was watching him. The man grit his teeth as he kept careful pace with the dark mare. Kenny could tell his nephew was keeping an eye out for him and other assassins. This was trouble in his eyes.

 _If we're going to get even close to Erwin, he has to be dealt with._

Kenny did not like that idea. Levi was no longer an assassin, but that doesn't change the fact that's his nephew. The boy was his pride and joy, even if he didn't bring him into this world he ensured the boy wouldn't die in a pathetic way like Kuchel did.

Then a different idea hit him. It was risky, but if it was pulled off right, then it was a brilliant spur of the moment plan. He reached for his pack and pulled out something leathery and slippery. Kenny made no sound as he kept pace with the mare in the bushes. When her pace slowed to an almost stop, he carefully wiggled the long leather out from the bush to imitate a snake. He made sure it briefly touched just above a hoof. The response was instant.

Levi felt his instincts scream at him. And so he had nearly pulled the mare to a stop when she spooked. She snorted at first, ears flattened against her head in nervousness. Levi gripped the reins and mane tightly right before Stella side stepped away from the bushes, kicking with one back leg before she reared up.

"Whoa! Captain are you okay?" Sasha maneuvered her horse away from the frightened mare.

"Hold on…" Levi grit his teeth as he attempted to call his mount down, but whatever spooked her effected her badly. She resisted the reins as he pulled them taught, trying to limit her head movements. Instead she fought back as she reared up again, this time bellowing as she went up.

"Corporal!" Erwin shouted from up front of the line. He halted the Survey Corp, and he watched helplessly as the dark mare continued to freak out. Those who were closest attempted to help calm her down, but the mare only stressed out more for being crowded and started kicking and biting at other horses.

"Pretty girl, there's no need to act out like this…" Krysta reached for the mares bridle, but the dark horse turned away from her.

"Calm down, you're okay, it's okay girl." Sasha said in a calming voice, reached for the reins but they slipped from her grasp.

 _If the two best people with horses can't calm her down…_ Erwin felt his stomach churn at the sight of the mare getting more violent.

"Everyone, keep a good distance from her, but make sure to make a circle so she doesn't-"

The commander didn't get to finish his sentence when the mare reared up, but she turned her head too far to one side and lost her balance. They all watched in horror as both horse and rider fell. She rolled and quickly got back up, Levi dangled from one stirrup.

Thinking fast he used his stomach and back muscles to pull his upper body up, one arm holding the saddle while the other hand tried to get his foot free. But the mare had a different idea and bolted. Her weight was off and her gallop was awkward as she went around horses, cargo carriages and trees.

Erwin urged his horse to meet the mare halfway, the short captain still struggling with the twisted stirrup that had his boot caught. When the grey horse blocked her path she snorted, rolling her head before going up in the air again. She couldn't be up on her hind feet for long without falling, as Levi being stuck on one side messed up her weight. When she came down with all four hooves on the ground Erwin grabbed hold of her bridle.

During the rear up Levi's hands slipped. He was once again dangling upside down from the saddle. The person closest to him from behind drew their horse up next to him and held from under his arm, wrapped around his chest and pulled him partway onto their own horse, his boot still somehow stuck despite the pull.

"Shit!" Levi shouted as the mare continued to resist Erwin, trying to rear up but he wouldn't let her. The mare then kicked the horse next to her, which the poor thing screamed in agony.

However, the force of her kick freed his leg from the twisted stirrup. He and the rider nearly slipped off the screaming horse. He looked up to see it was Hange struggling to keep them both from falling. The corporal reached a hand to grip the pained horse in the mane to ease the weight. Levi looked at his mare closely.

 _What spooked her so bad…?_

"Erwin, I don't understand…" Levi said as he was slowly being let down.

"As far as I know she's only afraid of snakes. But snakes don't move around at nighttime, the temperature is too cold for them." The commander said as he held tightly on the bridle. The mare chewed the bit nervously, her ears flicked this way and that, her eyes wide and wild.

It was decided to tie the mare behind a cargo carriage, as she was too nervous and out of it. Afraid that Levi had sustained unseen injuries, he was to ride in the same cargo carriage with Eren. The fever had gone down, but he was still asleep.

For the rest of the way back to headquarters there weren't any other incidents.

=3=

There wasn't much celebration in the capture of Annie. While there were no deaths in Survey Corp or Military Police, there were plenty of civilian casualties from the fight. The relations between Survey Corp and the government were tense, worse than ever before.

Levi spent his nights in silent comfort for Erwin as the commander read over the many angry letters from officials, religious leaders, and quite a few from high officers of the Military Police. Neither said anything, as the air was too tense for words. He just sat there in the chair, sipping tea. It was his way of showing the commander of his support.

One night Erwin tore up the letter he had been reading. He sighed as he leaned over, his hand pinching the bridge of his nose. Seeing enough of the man being so stressed, Levi got up and made his way over to him. He stood behind Erwin and started massaging the tense muscles there. The man melted under his hands.

"Where did you pick this up from?" Erwin resisted a moan as the fingers worked on deep knots.

"I took up lessons from an assassin who was blind. She massaged her targets, hitting pressure points that released hormones that made them sleepy enough for her to draw her hidden knife or use poisonous oils that she had grown immunity to."

"Well that's one way to go out. That almost sounds heavenly, if it weren't for the poison part." Erwin released a sigh. "By the way, what's with your eyes?"

"What do you mean? Is there something wrong with my eyes?" Levi paused in his work, peering over a broad shoulder to see the man's face better.

"The day we captured Annie. For a second your eyes were like a birds. But as soon as I saw them, they went back to normal. I honestly still question myself if I really saw what I saw." Erwin explained further.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I know for first ten years of my life I was blind. Then Kenny pinches my arm one day and I can suddenly see. For the first few years of my training was with that blind woman, but Kenny wanted to train me personally. But in order to do so, I had to have sight." Levi went over the events of his training.

"Pinches your arm? Do you know if he gave you some sort of drug or something? A pinch in the arm usually signifies a needle." Erwin looked at him, as he spoke the first thought that crossed his mind.

"I don't know. I didn't see what was in his hands, or what he put in his pocket. My eyes were in shock for the first few days of sight." Levi shrugged, not really bothered by the aspect of possible drugs being injected into him without his knowledge.

 _To be honest it wouldn't surprise me if he did such a thing. But to what extent, and why aren't I addicted to substances? I know he never gave me any of the shit that went around Underground City._

"Levi, is it all right if I have you tested for anything? It's odd that it only took one injection and your eyes are perfect after years of whatever he put in your system. What can your eyes do that's not normal?"

"Well, for the most part I'm night blind. Unless there's a lot of light, then I'm good. Which is why I had difficulty moving around the night you sent me out for the background search. If I allowed my eyes to focus, then I can see. But it's just outlining of shit. And then if I needed to see far away, if I focus hard enough I can see a greater distance than normal people."

"That sounds like birds eyes." Erwin pointed out, and it would further prove what he saw wasn't an illusion.

"I wouldn't know. I just chalked it up to my training."

"I'm having Hange take a sample of your blood and hair for analysis. I'll be discreet about it, and Hange won't spread the word."

Suddenly bells were going off. In an instant the pair looked out the window to see someone riding up to the castle in a hurry. There was a look of horror in his face. The two quickly made their way downstairs as more people woke up from the alarm of bells ringing throughout the entire valley. A few followed them outside to meet the messenger.

"Titans have breached Wall Rose! They're attacking the villages!" The man gasped out, for he was winded.

"Levi, wake everyone up and ready. Don't bother with the uniforms, if you have time to get the gear then do so. Gather a few to follow me to the wall. Meanwhile, disperse everyone else in groups to help evacuate the villages. After assigning everyone, you and your new squad meet up with us at the abandoned fort closest to the wall." Erwin did not hesitate to form a plan.

Levi nodded grimly, as he and Hange went back inside to gather everyone. There was little time to act before the entire territory was overrun by titans. It was a repeat of what happened eight years passed, and the suddenness of it took them by surprise.

He had come to realize that a few have already jumped into action. His squad was missing Connie and Sasha. In fact, there were a few others that weren't in his squad weren't anywhere to be found.

"Where's Connie, Sasha, Reiner, Bertolt, and Ylmir?" Levi asked the group in front of him.

"Sasha said something about her village in the mountains. I guess they're close to the wall." Mikasa answered.

"And the others followed Connie to his village. They're right next to the wall. So they all rode off as soon as the news was spread. I don't think they even had time for their gears." Armin reported, biting his lip.

 _Shit. This is not the time to act irrationally. We can't afford to lose more of our own._

"Gather your gear. Uniforms don't matter right now. My squad, stay with me. Krysta, Jean, the both of you make up the two missing. Our priority is to protect Eren as we make our way to the abandoned fortress. The rest of you, disperse in pairs of two or three to evacuate the remaining villages. If your horse can carry more than one gear, do so in case you come upon the others without."

Levi watched as Hange's division gathered as many cargo. One held spare gas tanks and another held extra gear as precaution. It was good to see someone thinking clearly in the time of crisis. Levi decided then to act a little selfishly. Informing everyone not to leave just yet, he went back inside the castle. First thing he picked up was the book hidden underneath his pillow. Next he went into Erwin's office, grabbed a map of all the villages and buildings between Walls Rose and Sina, then a pen.

He came back out, putting the book inside his mare's saddle bag.

"Where did you get that map?" Armin pointed.

"Erwin's office. Now help me mark down who went where and where everyone else is going." Levi instructed.

Together they circled where every pair of teams were going. Armin identified the villages where the missing comrades went, and Levi scribbled their names in the circled places. He was disturbed how Sasha went by herself to her hometown. Checking over what pairs were still here and what villages weren't circled, Levi didn't have any extra hands to send Potato Girl help.

"Hange, can you spare two of your own? Sasha went on her own."

"Okay, but then you might have to be our escort guards." Hange warned. "We are going to be slow with all the cargo."

"I'm fine with that. It's easier for Eren, he still hasn't fully recovered from the fight with Annie." Levi nodded, writing down the names of the pair heading after Sasha. With all the villages and towns accounted for, the large group began their journey six crucial hours after the commander's group went ahead to check the wall.

 _I hate being separated from him like this. Until we reach the abandoned fortress, there's no knowing if he's all right._

The promise Erwin ordered on him rang in his head. Just before the group made it very far, Stella shied away from the bushes, nostrils flaring. Enough of coincidences Levi threw the knife he took from Kenny. He blinked when it didn't make an indication it hit anything. Then someone stepped out of the bushes, twirling the knife in one hand.

"Good of you to give this back, nephew." Kenny smirked underneath his hat.

"Whatever it is you want, make it quick. You're holding up the line." Levi's eyes never strayed from his uncle. Although he wasn't getting that the man was a threat to them, he did not trust him.

"What, can't I have a meaningful talk with my favorite nephew?" Kenny joked, putting the knife back in its hiding spot.

"Captain, why do you even bother with him?" Jean snarled from his horse.

"We have to get going. We're behind on reaching our destination." Hange urged them, having her horse pull up next to the dark mare, as well as putting themselves in between uncle and nephew.

"What is it you truly want, Kenny?"

"A lot of things. But right now, I just wanted to offer my services. Just to see what you see and get out of all of this, parading around killing titans and all of that. Search me if you want to make sure I've got no tricks up my sleeve." Kenny raised both hands as means to offer.

Hange and Levi exchanged a look.

"He's your uncle."

"And you're of a higher rank than me."

At that point Hange stared hard at the man. They were curious to have another insight of an assassin's mind to prick into. However there was the safety concern of everyone else, and what ulterior motive this man had. Hange was unsure for once.

"Corporal, search him. If he is here to help, I don't want any chances of him killing Eren or the commander. I hope you don't mind if we confiscate your hidden knives and anything else but your gear."

"Hange this is insane! We can't trust him!"

Mikasa leaped off of her horse and held a blade to the man's neck. Although Jean had a point, she decided not to leave the man from taking chances to hurt Levi.

"Make one wrong move and you're dead." She said in all seriousness as Levi searched his uncle, taking all the hidden knives.

"I promise you, I don't plan on killing my dear nephew." Kenny smiled briefly.

"Does he carry poisons?" Hange inquired when Levi threw the knives into a cargo carriage.

"No, poisoning is not his thing. He doesn't even have a vial of the serum."

"Then, you can come with us to the abandoned fortress. But, should you act out, you will be chased out. And when this is all over, we can hand you your knives back. However, you cannot come back with us. You'll have to find your own way back to the inner city." Hange made the deal.

"That's perfectly fine with me."

 _Why do I get the feeling he's trying to talk to me alone? This is too out of the blue for him._

Levi got up his horse and looked behind him, staring at the man as he climbed onto a cargo carriage. As they stared at each other, quite a few noticed a slight change in the captain's eyes. Noticing the stares, Levi looked away, focusing ahead. His shoulders tensed and his back straightened.

He could feel the stares of Eren, Mikasa and Jean at his back.

=3=

Death: So much shit. And I find that once again, this story is taking a different turn than what I had planned. I tried so hard to keep by the notes, but when one idea pops in and if it actually makes the chapter better, then I have no choice but to add it.

Please leave a review~


	9. A Long Rope with a Thin Line

Death: For a while I've been discouraged to continue this story. But then I realized that I put too much into this. And I'm still having a hard time to reconnect with my other story, _Everything But Mine_ , and until I can get back into that one I might as well continue this and another project I just started.

 **Chapter Nine** A Long Rope with a Thin Line

=3=

The travel was long and hard, as everyone was anxious about the fact titans have breached Wall Rose. Numerous times the group had to stop to fix carriages carrying cargo they couldn't afford to lose.

Levi let Hange handle keeping everyone busy and their spirits up. He wasn't the best in cheering anyone up, and so he kept careful eye on Kenny. Strangely enough, Kenny kept to himself. He inquired Glasses a couple of times if they needed his help. Unsure how to accept his help, or to keep him away from new results of experiments most of everyone else haven't seen yet, Hange had him play look out.

Which of course, Kenny took to stand next to Levi, making several people nervous at the sight. The two were perfect statues as they watched for any signs of titans heading their way. Until now, no one could see how perfectly well Levi was an assassin, now they had a comparison and it was quite nerve wracking.

 _You little shit, you're the enemy now._

What Kenny said once before rang through Levi's head constantly. Whatever slight movements the older man made, his body tensed. And it took several moments for him to relax just enough after realizing Kenny wasn't making any moves.

 _At this rate, I'm going to develop paranoia._

It didn't help matters when not only was he standing next to Kenny. Mikasa stood on the other side of the older assassin. She gave off waves of disdain that further made everyone even more uncomfortable. Levi caught sight of Jean fidgeting next to her, and it took a lot out of him not to snap at Horse Face for showing his nervousness.

"Can't we all just calm down already? You lot are starting to give me the jitters. You little shits can't do anything to me, the only person who could possibly kill me is the runt over here." Kenny sighed, rubbing his neck.

The tension increased tenfold. Jean ran a hand through his hair. Mikasa turned her dark gaze at Kenny, as if challenging him to say something more.

 _Here we go._

"You know, even if you're an Ackerman, you got an attitude of a brat. The least you can do is calm your shit." Kenny chided, not one to ever pass up a challenge.

In a flash she swung at him. But her punch never hit, for in a split second Levi intervened. He was in between them and pulled her arm up and twisted. She glared down at him, this time not wavering under his intense eyes that held a storm in them.

"You would protect scum like him? What about Eren? Or the Survey Corp? Where exactly does your loyalties lie, captain!?" Mikasa snarled at him.

A few people crowded around ready to fight. But no one was expecting this display, and so fists weren't raised just yet. Their eyes went back and forth between the short captain to Mikasa.

"At this moment I'm protecting _you_ from _him_. I know what you're both capable of, and he has a point, _I'm_ the only person capable to kill him. And don't you _ever_ question where my loyalties lie, because I'm loyal to Erwin. Whatever he decides I carry out without a second thought. Even if it means my death, I don't give two shits about my life. The least you can do is relearn your priorities." Levi hissed so darkly anyone nearby froze.

"I know _exactly_ what my priorities are, captain. But I don't believe you know where yours lie!" Mikasa unwound her arm and aimed another punch with her other arm.

Levi ducked and charged full force, sending and undercut to her ribs. With her breath knocked out of her he flipped her over his shoulder like he did with Jean once and allowed her to fall. He stood over her as she coughed, struggling to breathe as she laid there on her back.

"Stop pulling a Yeager and keep your head in any situation you endure. It's an Ackerman trait, but it seems like you lost it at some point in your short life. Now go and play guard at Eren's carriage. I will not allow any disruptive behavior when we're supposed to keep an eye out for titans. Such displays will only serve to get us all killed."

"How did you…" Mikasa coughed as Jean helped her sit up.

"I just showed you the difference between our training. And that's only a portion of it. Don't ever cross me again. I won't hold back next time." Levi warned, catching the uncertain expressions on everyone's faces.

 _Great, now they're going to question my motives again._

He turned to his uncle, eyes so intense that Kenny flinched. He flinched in a way it wasn't obvious to anyone but those with a trained eye. Levi felt a swell of pride to have succeeded to make his mentor flinch. It was a first in all the years he was taken under his uncle's wing.

"If you ever antagonize anyone again, you're out. I'm not going to stand by and allow you to make this more uncomfortable than it already is. And I won't be Erwin and let you go unscathed." Levi smirked for an added effect.

The result was satisfactory to say the least. Kenny cleared his throat as he shifted his weight, hands at his hips while regaining his composure.

"Will keep that in mind from now on, then." Was all Kenny would respond with.

"We should be ready to leave within the next ten minutes! Everyone get ready to continue moving." Hange informed, breaking the tension.

With that the group dispersed, going back to their respective jobs at hand. Levi stared into the distance, feeling uneasy at how dark the night was tonight, as it was a new moon this night. He felt eyes on him, and he turned to see Kenny staring at him.

"You changed a lot since you've been with them. Tell me, what gave you your confidence? You're not the boy that was kidnapped a few months back. You've grown into something else entirely." Kenny inquired, genuinely curious. "I'm not saying it's a bad change. I'm inclined to say I'm proud of you."

Levi couldn't help but stare. It was the first time he heard those words spoken from his uncle.

"Well? You gonna tell me or not?"

"I would say the Survey Corp is what changed me. But it is more than just them. But if you want to be technical, it would be Erwin. Erwin is responsible for this change."

Levi wasn't aware of his expression, but Kenny was watching carefully. He saw how his nephew's face softened, almost dreamlike. His eyes lit up with such fondness that Kenny knew what it was. He studied that face and saw for the first time he was seeing his nephew as he was, not a stranger that tried to fit in anymore.

He knew his nephew hated the job as an assassin, but he stuck around because that was all he knew. Now he saw Levi truly as himself and suddenly he knew that he couldn't find it within himself to carry out the job he was set to do.

 _A few months ago I would have taken him and Erwin out together if the order was given then. But now, I can't do it. I hate to admit it, but he has been my soft spot from day one when I took him in._

And Kenny could tell what it was the boy had found while being a part of the Survey Corp. And he envied Levi for finding something precious. Something some people can't find within their own lifetime.

"You know, now that I think about it, this was a terrible idea from the start. I figured out why you stayed here, even at the cost of Farlan. I'll take my leave. That should help ease the tensions here." Kenny stretched, eager to leave and go at his own pace now.

"Let me be the one to hand you your weapons before you leave." Levi said, making his way to where he ad stored the knives beforehand.

"You're letting him go?" Jean glared.

"If he leaves on his own accord I'm not stopping him. And wouldn't you rather want him to leave?" The short captain countered.

By his silence Levi knew he had a point. He held the knives and made his way to Kenny. He stared up at his uncle, not quite handing them over.

"I suppose you know already what would happen should you pull anything stupid, right?" He warned.

"Yeah, yeah. I know, you'll cut me to pieces." Kenny rolled his eyes.

"Good. I don't have to say it then." Levi handed over the bundle of knives.

"Before I leave, I just wanted to say one more thing."

"Make it quick. We have little time to be messing around."

"I'm glad you found something precious. I hope that when the time comes, you can protect it and come out unscathed. Good luck, until next time."

And before Levi could inquire what he meant, Kenny took his weapons and left. He watched as the man walked away and disappeared among the shadows of the trees, wondering what he meant.

 _Something precious, huh?_

=3=

It was quickly learned that Wall Rose was not breached. Erwin and his small group had traveled all around to find no signs of holes of titans broken through. With the titans contained between two solid walls it wasn't too long before they were taken care of.

While some villages were saved and escorted to the Wall Sina safely, a good few didn't make it. Some members of Survey Corp and Wall Garrison went missing. Among them were a few veterans of Survey Corp.

Erwin wasn't taking the loss of Mike very well. There were nights Levi spent holding the commander in the tiny bed until the man fell asleep. Levi didn't mind being a pillow to say the least. He was starting to feel comfortable being held as they slept.

They haven't done anything sexual yet, and Levi didn't care. The tension was higher than ever before as they racked their brains to figure out how titans invaded without breaking through Wall Rose. At the meantime he was silently supporting Erwin every way possible.

 _I wonder if this is what Kenny meant as precious._

This left him pondering how Kenny figured it out in the first place. But he had to keep it to himself, as he took it upon himself to keep the Survey Corp from falling to pieces. The majority of them were just as stressed as their commander, as the threat of disbandment loomed over their heads.

"Captain, have you had any sleep at all these past few days?" Eren poked his head out of the kitchen to watch as Levi sweeped with much less vigor than usual.

"I'm fine, brat. You look like you haven't had much sleep, yourself." Levi glanced at him, noticing how there were dark circles under the boy's eyes.

"It's the nightmares. I don't remember what they're about, but I know I have them." Eren responded with such exhaustion Levi looked at him again, seeing him with new eyes.

"Why don't you take a break, Eren?" He suggested, sincerely honest.

"But...are you sure, captain? The dishes…" He stared wide eyed as if Levi had grown an extra head.

"The dishes can wait. Actually, I won't mind a break myself. This place is too depressing." He put the broom back in its place, removing his gloves and apron.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with Captain Levi?" Eren grinned, as he cheered up a bit.

"There's the cheeky brat I know and love. Now come on, do you want to destress with the gear or not?" Levi made his way out the door, only to stop when the Titan shifter wasn't following.

Eren was standing there blushing furiously. It took him a moment to realize what he had said and sighed. He made his way back to the teen and stood before him, looking up at his bright red face.

 _Damn, he's gotten a little taller. At this rate he'll reach Erwin's height in a few years._

"Eren, I know you've had a crush on me for a while. And I'm trying not to encourage it, but when I see you as my little brother? Things tend to slip without meaning to. I don't mean to sound harsh, but I have to address this issue. Forget and forgive me."

Those bright eyes stared at him, too shocked for words. Levi could almost get lost in those teal green eyes if he hadn't already been captivated by deep blues that held an endless sky in them.

"Forget about me. It will hurt you less, and it would save you and whoever your future partner unnecessary pain. Forgive me, for I cannot return these feelings. And forgive me for whatever I have done that made you believe you stood a chance, even when presented with your own eyes that I'm taken." Levi reminded him of the day it was made known he had a hickey on his neck.

"I'm... I'm sorry captain." Eren bit his lip nervously.

"Don't apologize for something that's not your fault. That's the last thing I want, is for you to believe it's your fault for this situation but it's not. Just leave it to rotten timing and my stupid heart for latching onto Erwin so fast." Levi took a deep breath, realizing he had let his secret out, but he didn't mind it too much.

What really had his mind reeling was the fact, if Erwin hadn't shown him kindness from the start, then Eren stood a good chance with him. Levi couldn't deny it when they were both locked up in the dungeon for a while, their futures bleak and uncertain. Levi always admired strength in a person, whether it be physical or mental, or both. But both was rare, and the scary thing was Eren _and_ Erwin possessed both qualities.

However it took the boy a while to grow into his strength. The Survey Corp did wonders to improve his temper and rash thinking, despite a few slip ups here and there. But that's what humans did best, make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes.

And thinking about it now, he could see that even if they had qualities he admired the most in a person, the two were in different levels. Eren had never carried the weight on his shoulders of ordering the Survey Corp into their possible deaths. What deaths he witnessed or of those he knew took to heart, Erwin took _every_ death to heart, mind, and soul.

Because Erwin was their commander. And it was under his own orders that brought these deaths. The weight of that alone after years of being in charge could topple a Titan Eren's size.

"Okay...I'll remember that from now on." Eren sniffed, wiping his face. It was then Levi realized the teen was crying.

"Oi, if you're going to be a crybaby, then you're not coming with me to the forest." Levi deadpanned, not one to ever watch anyone cry in front of him.

"I'm fine, captain! There's just something in my eye." Eren tried to smile, which was obvious it was a struggle.

"Now you turned into a crying brat. Well shit, you on your period or something? You're all happy and blushing one minute, the next you're balling your eyes out."

At that the teen busted out laughing. Even though he was blushing mad, he was doubled over with his laugh. Levi allowed himself a smirk at the reaction.

"That's better. Now do you want to have a go with the gear or not?" Levi was eager to be in the air, it has been too long.

"Okay, okay we'll go. But, captain? You said it was rotten timing. What did you mean? Do you mean we _could_ have worked out?" Eren followed the short captain outside.

"It means what it means. And don't you dare latch onto that hope you have. I'm not leaving Erwin." Levi warned, noting the rising hope in the boy's voice.

 _Unless the day comes he tells me to leave, which I doubt._

"You know, come to think of it, I think you two make a good couple." Eren was more chipper now as he skipped alongside the captain.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, he's tall, and you're short…"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence if you value your life." Levi growled, not quite over the fact the boy had a recent growth spurt while he was still rather short.

"I'm joking! Jeez, captain, lighten up a bit. Anyways, besides that, you're calm and collected. You're built for speed and accuracy. In the field, everyone knows you can save us in a pinch."

"Okay, and why do you believe Erwin and I are good together again?

"Well, the commander is strong and agile. He plans everything and carries it out accordingly. If anything goes wrong he has a backup plan set. Should the two of you ever work together taking down titans, I believe the pair of you would be a terrifying force to be reckoned with."

 _He has a point, there._

"I will admit, that's a good evaluation." Levi had to hand it to the kid.

"But that's not all, captain! I also think that the two of you together can heal both of you. You're not the easiest person to be around, captain, no offense. And from what I've heard, the commander has always kept everyone at arm's length until you came along. I think you're exactly what he needed, and he's what you needed."

"And you have figured this out all on your own within a few minutes? I am impressed, brat."

"Well, I've had a long time to think about how someone could have you after I saw that hickey on your neck. I didn't know it was Erwin, but I had a feeling it had to be someone you needed and they needed you in return." Eren explained, as they got their horses ready.

Just as they brought their horses out all saddled, a group returned from scouting one of the villages. Hange had a worried expression on their face, while Connie seemed horrified about something.

"I would ask if it was a good scouting, but judging by your expressions you lot saw some shit." Levi commented.

"Levi, I'm sorry to cut your outing short, but I need to speak with you. In Erwin's office. Connie, I need you to come with us." Hange was straightforward and to the point.

 _This is going to be bad news, isn't it?_

With a sigh he handed the reins to Eren. The teen blinked as he held the reins of both horses. He stared at Levi, the captain had a masked expression once more.

"Take care of her for me, please. And I'm sorry we have to postpone our outing with the gear." Levi followed Hange and the young man in his squad.

He noted Connie was carrying a picture of some sort, but it was difficult to see what the picture was. Sensing it was part of the discussion, he didn't inquire about it. The three entered the commander's office. Two of them blinked to see signs of the commander not shaving for several days.

 _He's working himself to the point he can't even function. One of these days I'm going to have to intervene and make him remember what it's like to be human again._

"Commander. We have some startling news. Well, more like speculation about where the titans came from." Hange was the first to recover.

"What have you discovered?" Erwin looked up from the papers, the squad leader had his full attention now.

"It can't be fully confirmed yet, but I suspect that these titans...are the missing villagers." Hange presented the theory. "We have found a few villages that were completely abandoned, and no signs of titans killing them off. And yet they're not registered as among the refugees we escorted to safety. What's more, Connie may have recognized his mother at his village as a deformed Titan."

"It...it spoke to me, sir. When I went there to rescue my family, my hometown...it was lying on its back on top of my house. It said 'Welcome home'. And we compared its face to a picture I had that I took with me when I went into training." Connie presented the picture he had been carrying.

Levi and Erwin leaned over to study it. The woman in the frame held a remarkable resemblance to Connie. About the only difference was her long hair and her body frame a little broader from the joys of raising a family and loving it.

"The resemblance was...shocking. Between his mother and the Titan we saw. It was still alive, but it won't speak to us. I'm having my squad ready to transport that Titan back the next outing, if that's alright with you, sir." Hange was eager to have another Titan to study from other than just Eren's form.

"We can start tomorrow or the day after. But this is strange news to me, that a good portion of the population is turned into titans. Are you positive that this is the only answer?" Erwin stared hard at the squad leader.

"I did a headcount, just to double check. The same amount of people in villages that have disappeared without explanation was the same amount as the headcount of titans we eliminated. The only extensive damage was at the abandoned fortress, but you already know that." Hange handed over papers that they had calculated the numbers on.

The commander took it and skimmed through carefully. By his expression Levi didn't have to read the paper. Instead he stared at Glasses with a blank expression, but they noticed the storm going on inside his head behind those eyes.

"So...what you're saying is that I have been killing humans. Humans that couldn't transform back." Levi felt disturbed at the revelation.

"Essentially, yes. But we don't have any full way to confirm this. This is all speculations." Hange had to find something to assure the short man, but by his expression it wasn't working.

 _I have done nothing but the same job as before, only these targets have no names and no assigned death by a king._

"Thank you for your efforts, both of you. Connie, you are dismissed. Hange, would you mind staying a little longer? I have a small request I've been meaning to ask of you for a while." Erwin knew it wasn't the best timing to ask, but he felt that he had to do this now.

 _If I didn't before they make their move, then who knows if I'll ever get an answer._

Connie nodded and saluted before he left. Hange stared between the commander and the short captain with interest. They noticed that Levi wasn't requested to leave.

"So what do want me to do? I get the feeling this is some secret assignment." Hange was the first to break the silence.

"You're familiar with Eren's blood properties, right? I mean having an understanding of the titan genes in him." Erwin wasn't sure how to word this.

"Yes...why do you ask? I can identify the strands without any help, after comparing Eren's blood to my own under a microscope."

"When Levi was born, he couldn't see. He couldn't see for the first ten years of his life. Suddenly his uncle pinches his arm and he can see. Actually, he can see much better than any normal human. And what I find strange is that it took one injection, if it was an injection, which I find most puzzling. No known medicines can make a blind person to see after one treatment."

Hange stared at Levi, who was still recovering about the new possibility of titans actually being humans. There had been no reason for them to suspect Levi to have the same ability as Eren. Sure, he had speed that was unmatched, and strength that could rival Eren in a fight, but he didn't share the healing qualities as Eren.

Eren could replace bones and limbs. Levi had lost feeling in his leg after it broke and waited too long until it was fixed. Even after some weeks since the injury it would still act up. As time passed the leg has lessoned in stiffening up for a few minutes. Instead of every day it was every four days.

"Well, I guess I can take a look at his blood. It might take some time to have the time, but if he's alright with taking a blood sample now then I can squeeze in time to study it at some point." It didn't hurt to try, Hange figured.

"Just make it quick, I'm not very fond of needles, shitty glasses." Levi remarked without meeting their eye.

"Great! I'll be back with a case. You're so tiny, you just might need all the blood you need so I'll only take one vial." Hange was eager to study someone's blood sample again, it had been a while since they have done anything in the sort.

When they left Levi caught Erwin's eye for the first time in a few minutes. The commander stared at him with growing concern over the recent theories.

"Are you alright? You have been depressed for a while. And I kind of requested that favor without consulting you first." Erwin was suddenly feeling guilty for doing this.

"I'm fine, I'm not upset about that. It's just hard to wrap my head around all of this. That I left one profession only to find that my new one isn't much different. Why do I feel like I've said this all before?"

"I believe you did, but this conversation was with Hange. I was informed of what had happened." Erwin tilted his head with more concern.

 _His memory has always been sharp. Why is it failing him now?_

"If you want after this, you can take a nap." Erwin offered him a chance for a break. The short captain looked worse than usual with so little sleep.

"Only if you join me, commander. After all, sir, you're the only one who can keep the nightmares at bay." Levi countered with a sly smirk.

That smirk quickly went away the moment the door opened with Hange. They were grinning as they quickly shut the door behind them, carrying a case.

"I hope you don't do any experiments with my blood as a result of this." Levi warned with a deadly glare.

"I promise I won't do anything that would break your trust in me, Levi." Hange smiled as they pulled out a needle.

During the process Levi had to look away as Hange drew blood. Erwin rubbed the short captain's back in means of comfort, feeling how tense it was. Before he knew it, the process was done and over with.

Just as Hange had put everything away when the door opened. Erwin stood, staring hard at the Military Police that intruded without warning.

"Would you care to inform me what's going on?" Erwin was stern at the rude intrusion.

"Commander Erwin, you are under arrest for conspiracy against the king, and turning quite a number of people into titans to create havoc between Walls Rose and Sina."

"Before I go, can I at least name someone else to be in charge until I return?" Erwin reasoned, not moving towards them.

"I find no reason to stop you. But make it quick. We are ordered to bring you to the dungeon in the inner city until your trial."

 _For once the Military Police are being reasonable._

Without another word the commander looked at Hange. His smile was strained as their eyes met.

"Hange, it would be an honor if you take my place until my return. You have the experience and the knowledge of leading people, you're the only person I can think of who can take my place."

"...It would be my honor to accept your decision. Hope to see you soon, Commander Erwin."

"Take care of everyone for me, Commander Hange." Erwin turned to Levi, their eyes met possibly for the last time for a long while.

"Stay free, little bird. You're free to do as you wish from now on." Erwin said with sincerity in his voice. Before he was taken away he mouthed something only Levi and Hange saw.

Levi felt his heart break at those words.

 _I love you._

=3=

Death: This chapter was hard to put together. I know, you all probably wanted to see some action between Levi and Kenny. But. That comes later. Like, lining up with the original story later, which is kinda soon anyway.

Another reason is remembering exactly the events of chronological order here. Once again there will be elements of the manga in here, but at the same time there will be some of my flair in there to make it more interesting.

Please leave a review.


	10. A Family That Strives

Death: This is the most frustrating chapter to write yet in this story. I had this halfway done and had to scrap it, and write it anew.

Enjoy the results of my brain having a brain fart.

 **Chapter Ten** A Family That Strives

=3=

The Survey Corp as a whole was in an uproar when the news hit that Commander Erwin was taken into custody. It was so bad Military Police were sent in to confine the faction inside their own headquarters, never allowed to leave unless it was to take care of their horses under the careful eye of the Military Police.

On top of this, their gear and experiments of Commander Hange's creations were confiscated. Thus far Hange kept the blood test of Captain Levi secret, and they have done everything in their power to keep Eren under the custody of the Survey Corp. However, as time passed the pressure increased dramatically. And it was becoming harder and harder to fight them off taking Eren away.

It was only a matter of time before a certain former assassin took matters into his own hands.

Deciding he couldn't make any moves without at least warning Hange, he crept into their office late one night. Despite being commander, even if temporary, they refused to use Erwin's office but kept their own office.

He walked in to see Hange studying paperwork.

"Levi? What brings you to creep into my office so late at night?" Hange looked up from their desk.

"I'm here to warn you I'm about to do something very, very, stupidly dangerous that could possibly put the Survey Corp in jeopardy." Levi whispered as he neared the chaotic desk, trying his best not to comment about the mess of papers scattered in random piles over the entire surface.

Hange stared at the short captain, and could see his eyes were serious. And Erwin's last words to the captain replayed in their head.

 _You're free to do whatever you want from now on._

In essence he basically freed Levi from any responsibilities and ties from the Survey Corp without the Military Police from suspecting the meaning behind those powerful words. In all honesty, Hange figured Levi would make a run for it right then and there.

However, much to their curiosity he remained even as the Military Police caged the scouts. Up until now he had been a silent shadow, observing and preventing fights from either side to act out.

"Are you sure you want to put your life down for us? Erwin freed you." Hange remarked with caution.

"Erwin made me captain of the Special Forces Squad. Excuse me if he emphasized a whole lot that our job is to protect Eren at _all_ costs. And do you honestly believe his words alone would break my chains?" Levi responded with a cold tone.

 _I don't know if it's love that I have for Erwin, but even if he unlocked my chains I will not leave them. Not like this when they're on the verge of being disbanded._

"Then at least tell me that this is something for the greater good for the Survey Corp, or for the good for you?" Hange could not allow whatever he was planning put the lives at risk.

 _You trust me so little you question my motives? That's a first._

"Those filthy unicorns want him. And besides Erwin, he is the key to what makes up the Survey Corp. I'm not letting their filthy hands take him away from us, when we're already shaken and shackled from them arresting our commander. I don't know what they plan for Erwin, but they _will_ make an example of Eren and execute him without a second thought. You know this above everyone else, Hange."

It took a lot out of the new commander not to shiver under that hard gaze. For Levi hit the mark, and it was something that stressed Hange to no end these past several days. It was also the first time Levi even spoke their name, instead of the nickname he had been using since they first met.

"Okay, okay. I just needed to make sure you're doing this for the right reasons. But what exactly do you plan to do?" Hange knew it was a long shot, but they were at least going to try to understand what he was planning.

"I can't tell you. You will hate me for what I'm going to do, and the less anyone knows the better off everyone will be. I will say however that it involves my squad and one extra person. I cannot give you names, you are needed to have plausible deniability when they're interrogating you."

That made Hange's heart sink to their stomach.

"...Okay. Thank you for the warning, Captain Levi. I hope the Wings of Freedom carry you to success. And before you go, I have something for you." Hange reached into the inside of their shirt and pulled out a key.

Levi watched as they unlocked a drawer and pulled out a small envelope. He took it, curious as to what it was, but was stopped from looking inside.

"Read it when you're out of here. I have written everything you need to know about your test results. All other documents were destroyed and the blood samples disposed of. And please, whatever you do, please forgive me for not being able to explain to you in person about this sensitive information." Hange made the request because they were terrified of the notion Levi would overreact, which would gain the unwanted attention from their guards.

 _Figure now is a good time to hand this over before they request to go through all files we have._

Levi stuffed the envelope into his pocket and turned to leave. He paused before he opened the door to glance over his shoulder one last time.

"I will understand if the Survey Corp rejects me after tonight. If we all survive this, tell Erwin I love him, and wish him the best of luck."

 _I don't know if this is love, but he should at least get to hear something close to it._

And just like a silent shadow, he left before Hange could respond.

The next morning they awoke to confusion and horror. The Special Forces Squad was missing, including Armin Arlett, who wasn't a member of that squad. But that wasn't the horrors that shocked everyone, Military Police and Survey Corp alike.

There was the bloodshed. Five members of the Military Police and four Survey Corp scouts were found dead. All of them were professionally slit on the throat by a curved blade.

The Military Police forgot to check through Erwin's office where he kept the prized knife of the Survey Corp's personal assassin. Upon further investigation sensitive maps only Erwin kept hidden had also gone missing. They were the only copies of where the Survey Corp stored secret gear, gas, and food storage.

With the investigation gone over every member of the Scouts, all of them were cleared of suspicion for aiding the squad's escape. And much to the government's frustration, no one knew where these secret hideouts were as Erwin never told a soul and never made extra copies of the maps.

Hange was left with angry people all around, from the Military dogs and the entire Survey Corp. They understood why Levi had done such dramatic lengths, but they couldn't inform anyone else on the matter. It wouldn't calm the situation any better. At any rate, Hange made a request to visit Erwin in the dungeon.

 _He might already heard what happened. But if not, it would be best if he heard from me._

Besides, they needed to pass along the captain's message.

=3=

Traveling on foot was different for the squad. They had grown accustomed to horseback or the gear. However, taking their horses would have drawn too much attention, and Levi was adamant to cover as much ground between them and the Military Police before it was known they had escaped.

No one questioned where the blood stains over the captain's clothes came from. His hands were still dark from what he had done, and even his ascot and face had small traces of crimson. None of them saw him in action, for he had taken care of the guards before he quietly rallied them up and escaped into the forest.

It was currently Armin's job to read the map he was given and direct them accordingly to someplace safe. Levi had already circled their first destination for a hide out until they needed to move to stay ahead of the Military Police that were bound to search for them.

Or worse, the assassins that were specialized to hunting threats down long before the Military Police find any leads.

It wasn't until early morning they came upon the abandoned cottages. They were a cluster of three, each one storing hidden gear, gas, and food. Despite how exhausted he was, Levi took first watch while everyone slept, splitting up into each cottage.

He thought over the events of the night before. He silently hoped Erwin wouldn't hold what he had done against him. Levi wasn't fully sure if the commander would even allow him to remain among the Survey Corp if they pull through this.

 _I know he will fight to keep me. But they need someone to blame for those deaths._

Levi wasn't going to stand by while his squad took the blame for something he didn't do. If they got captured, or if they cleared the Survey Corp name, then he will turn himself in. It might be for the best, for betrayals aren't taken lightly in the Survey Corp.

When midday rolled around, they all met under one roof and went over their options.

"Okay, so we got Eren away from the Military Police. What do we do now? We can't hide around until they've returned Erwin." Sasha tilted her head.

"We could look into this whole mess. We can easily find evidence that it wasn't us that turned those people into titans. But the problem still lies that they won't listen." Jean had been stuck on this milestone for a good part of the journey.

"Then we get the people involved. Have them see the truth and turn them against the government." Levi said casually.

To be perfectly honest, it was scaring everyone how calm he was being while still covered in blood. Normally he would insist cleaning the blood off before anything else. Even so, no one dared to comment on the strange behavior.

"But if we turn them against the government then that basically means we're staging a rebellion. What are our goals with this? Replace all of them, and remove the king?" Armin frowned at the bold move.

"It's what Erwin has been planning since before he captured me and took Eren into Survey Corp custody. He didn't tell me any specifics other than he's searching for a bastard child related to the royal family in some way, and have that person take over the throne. He found out that child joined your class of training, but he didn't know which faction he or she joined."

"Hold on, is this why he captured you in the first place? So that we have a better chance to find this information?" Mikasa was feeling a little peeved about this.

"Yes, I suppose. How he found out about the target on his head, I don't know. And I had narrowed it down to four people, but I haven't gotten any further on those leads when Annie decided to throw shit up into a loop."

"Who did you narrow it down to?" Eren was curious now.

"Reiner Braun, Bertolt Hoover, Krysta Lenz, and at the time Annie Leonhart. However, as she showed herself to be an enemy, Annie was crossed out of the list." Levi appeared as if he wanted to say more, but his eyes were studying the short girl in his squad he had named.

 _Out of all of them, she is the one I suspect to be the one we're searching for._

Her papers had no proof of family history. She was born and raised in a well off farm, and yet no relatives with the same surname as her. And above all, she was the only one out of the three recruits on the list he _trusted_. His instincts were never wrong when it came to someone's character.

And even though he really liked both boys, he couldn't shake off the feeling there's something shady about them. Out of all the recruits he kept those two at arms length while he bonded just fine with everyone else.

And the expression on her face told him everything he needed to know. He knew then that it was just fine that he hadn't brought those two along, for they weren't what they needed in this grand scheme Erwin had set in motion.

"Krysta isn't your real name, is it?" Levi was the first to speak, as everyone stared at her.

"N...no... it's not. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for bringing everyone into this mess. You see, they killed my mother. And they wanted to kill me, but my father stopped it. He gave me a new name and sent me away. I was so afraid they would start to involve the whole Survey Corp into their politics, and now they want to tear apart the only family I ever had." The girl started crying, her tiny shoulders shook as she finally spoke the truth that had been haunting her for years.

"What's your real name?" Armin reached over and gently rubbed her back in means of comfort.

"My name is Historia Reiss. I am the bastard child of the Reiss family, and I honestly don't know their status, but they owned the farm my mother's family worked at. And when my father didn't marry my mother, we were seen as a threat some time after the wall had been breached."

She went on to explain how her father sent her away, for she had been a child. She was sent to join the recruits, where she could decide from there what to do for life. Figuring it would serve her father good that she died in action for putting her family to shame, she joined the Survey Corp.

She wanted to die by doing something good in the world, for she was bad for even existing in the first place. However, she found that the Survey Corp became more of a family to her than her own flesh and blood. And now the very people that wanted her dead were threatening to disband and execute important members of the people who became her family by bonds.

"If you don't even know the status of your father's family, then I don't know if Erwin's plan can follow through. I can't find any mentions of relatives to the king, or if the man sitting on the throne is the real deal at all. But you're the best option we have here. I can look deeper into this matter, but in the meantime we need to start turning the people against the officials."

Everyone stared at Levi, who they quickly realized he had been planning all of this over carefully the past several days. Probably since Erwin's arrest, even.

"How do you propose to do that? They're not likely going to listen to us, they don't like us at the moment." Connie pointed out.

"Well, I have a few things in mind. One of them is gaining the trust of the biggest fish among them. Merchants. They are the bridge between government and people, and can easily gain the trust of the people if they're well known and good reputation. Of course, that would require the best well off merchant families in order to do this right."

"That would be a little hard to accomplish. I believe I know which merchant you need, but he's rather...greedy. I had a brief incident with him in Trost, and he prevented a number of people from escaping when his cargo got stuck." Mikasa instantly knew which merchant family they needed to target.

 _I remembered hearing something like that happened. And she managed to convince him to leave his cargo behind to allow people through. Impressive._

"And? This whole situation isn't easy to begin with. What makes you think I was looking for easy? Since you're already acquainted with him, I'll leave him to you. I'm going to find out more about their plans, if anyone wants to come with then say so now. Mind you, I can only take three other people with me. I can't promise any success of everyone surviving should Kenny and the others strike."

Much to his surprise Jean, Armin, and Sasha raised their hands.

 _This just might be able to work out in the end._

Levi had been dreading they would reject him for the sacrifices he had made. But it would seem they either didn't care or didn't know. It was better off they didn't know. There would be judgment and endless arguments should they ever find out what he had done.

 _They would never forgive me. And I cannot bear to see the look of disappointment in their eyes, or Erwin's when he's out of the dungeon._

Feeling overwhelmed he left them to continue with the plans. He needed time to himself, and maybe reading the contents of the envelope Hange gave him would be distraction enough.

He went to his bedroom and began reading.

 _Dear Levi,_

 _Forgive me that I cannot tell you this through word of mouth. As much as I wish I could to ease the news, I cannot risk being overheard. So, I will be brief and clear about the results._

 _Your biochemistry is similar to Eren. I don't mean as in you're related, no. I have isolated the gene that enables someone to transform into a Titan and keep their humanity. Eren has it coursing through his veins as if he was a natural born specimen. However, yours doesn't meet the same strengths as his does when I compared them._

 _But you do have enough of the gene that corrected your eyesight. It is perhaps this gift that allows you to see better than most people. However, I find it worrisome that it was not as a result from your parents, but from an injection._

 _If that is the case, then this could possibly be the answer we've been searching centuries for the origins of titans. This in itself is a concern, for it could explain what happened to the missing villagers and the sudden appearance of titans between solid walls._

 _It is safe to say that you cannot transform. I have done extensive tests to compare your genes to Eren's. Yours does not meet the safety requirements to transform without your body being damaged in the process. Therefore, I have concluded that you most likely can't, seeing as how your healing abilities are nothing compared to Eren. However, there is the very small chance that I am wrong._

 _Be careful, and whatever you do, resist the urge to transform should something happen._

 _-Hange_

 _P.S. Here are the only copies of the test results and comparisons of you and Eren. I figured you would want to see them for yourself before believing a word I say on the matter._

He studied the papers carefully. He double checked just to make sure, never finding a flaw. After the third time he concluded that Hange had been right. There was no doubt about it with the answers clear as day in front of him.

Once again being overwhelmed he quickly left, forgetting the papers on the bed and stepped outside of the cottage, ignoring the worried looks. It was already dark, and the stars were bright.

He stood before the cottages staring at the sky.

 _Not only am I a human weapon, I am a monster._

He was a monster for so many reasons. He killed members of the Military Police, but on top of that he killed his own comrades so the Survey Corp weren't to be suspected to help them escape. He may have done it to make it seem like an act of violent defiance, but they were his _comrades_.

The icing on the cake were the results of the blood test Erwin setup.

When Eren followed after him with the others some minutes later, all of them had seen the papers Hange gave him. They didn't know what to make of the results, or how to comfort the short captain. Eren was braver than the rest.

He stood behind the short captain when everyone else stood back, giving the former assassin distance. They weren't sure how he would act right now, since they sensed he had been on the edge for a while. He had probably been on edge since the night before, when he gathered them up and silently made their escape.

"Captain?" Eren reached for the tiny hand.

Just when their hands brushed together the shorter man started giggling. It was soft at first, so soft Eren wasn't sure he heard right. Then the giggles escalated to full on high pitched laughter.

Eren pulled his hand back, not sure what to do now. He cautiously stepped to where he stood next to the captain, watching with his heart breaking as the laughter was full of pain and suffering.

"Captain…?" Eren wanted to hold the tiny frame close and never let go.

 _I can't hold him like that. He's with Erwin, and I can't get between them._

His heart broke even more as the laughter slowly turned into crying. It started with tears flooding down those blood stained cheeks. Then it became full blown crying as the captain knelt on his knees, hugging his ribs at the internal pain of his meltdown.

 _Fuck Erwin. He needs help now. If we can't bring him back from the brink of insanity, we won't be able to pull off this mission without him._

Eren knelt next to the captain and embraced him. He held Levi close to his chest, and began to whisper softly in hopes to calm him down. At first Levi didn't register he was being held, he was too lost in his pain, as he let it all out.

"Levi, you're going to be fine. We're all here for you. Just cry it out, let it all go. Soon we can fix everything and you and Erwin will be back together as each other's support. Until then, rely on us, we're your family too."

 _I don't think it was intentional, but Erwin became his only anchor here._

"How can I be part of your family when I have killed? I have killed our own brethren, just to make it seem we're rogue killers kidnapping you so they don't get their hands on you. I had to ensure they wouldn't put the blame on everyone else. So I killed...I killed our own along with Military Police. How can I be part of this family when _I'm nothing but a monster_!?"

At the confession his voice was cracking. He wanted so bad to push those arms away, but he had become so dependent on being held for comfort he couldn't push Eren away. Levi wanted nothing short but to bury his face in the warm chest and fall asleep to the sound of the strong heartbeat.

 _He's not Erwin. I can't do that to Erwin. Not after everything he's done for me._

No one knew how to respond to his confession. They had so much processing still on their minds that they could feel headaches forming from all of the stress.

A few went to their bedrooms to escape from the scene. Others stared at the kneeling pair, the words the captain spoke still ringing in their ears. Jean balled his fists up, wanting so bad to hit the captain. However, he knew that wouldn't solve anything at all.

 _Why can't we ever catch a break or something?_

"You killed our comrades, you little bastard! You killed them like that...as if everything before now meant nothing? Is that what you see us as, pigs lined up for the slaughter!?" Jean yelled, unable to prevent the words boiling up inside him.

"Hold it, Jean…" Mikasa stood between him and the still crying captain.

"Don't you dare defend him again, Mikasa! He _threw_ you down and then proceeded to threaten you that he won't hold back next time you two argue!" He snapped at her.

"And can't you see he's hurt enough? He's crying for repentance." Armin pointed out.

"Don't you get involved too, Arlett! I have had it with this...this _assassin_ as our captain! Just who did he kill off anyway? He has gone too far with this!" Jean tried to shove his way through, only to be stopped by Mikasa once again.

"Sacrifices must be made in the most dire of situations! This is how we fight, on _and_ off the field. Even if it wasn't a Titan that killed them, they still died so that the rest of us didn't end up dead by the hands of the Military Police!"

 _I don't agree with his methods. But I understand where he is coming from. And we also have to realize that he is an assassin, that alone changes everything in how he thinks._

"Sacrifices!? You call their deaths as noble sacrifices!? The fucking hell, Mikasa! Those were our comrades that died by the hands of a _human monster_!"

"Technically he's part Titan, even if he can't transform he has enough of the gene to have his eyesight." Sasha calmly added.

"That just makes it all the worse, Potato Girl!"

"And what does that make me, Jean!?" Eren yelled from where he was, his eyes glaring at his rival.

"You're different, this doesn't concern you Yeager!"

"It does when I'm _more_ of a Titan than him! You saw what Hange wrote, he won't be able to transform like I can! So tell me one more time that I don't count. To be fair, I'm a bigger monster than he is. If you guys hadn't taken me in, I might have been just like Annie and you know this!" Eren ignored the shocked expressions all around.

Levi was having a hard time understanding what was happening. He understood Eren taking his side, but Mikasa? Armin? And Sasha? He had always been hard on them, pushing them to be their best, and was possibly too harsh on them most days. And yet here they were, defending him.

 _Why are they defending me, even with the knowledge of what I did?_

"He's still a fucking assassin! And it was only a matter of time before he did shit like this!"

"Oh yeah, you know what, I'm putting my two cents in. What if I told you that all the titans we've been fighting and killing just _might_ be human? But they're not like Eren, they can't turn back! This is a theory Hange and I figured out after we took care of the titans that showed up out nowhere between the damn walls." Connie had enough of Jean going in circles, and being stubborn.

"What are you saying?" That information got his attention.

"We just might be killing our own kind that may have been experiments gone wrong or some shit. What does that make us? The same as him. And he's the only one who can't _stand_ killing. Us? We turn killing titans into a _game_ as if it's a _sport_ as we fight for humanity."

The mere thought of the possibility hung in the air. Some couldn't look Connie in the eye, ashamed from the realization that he just might be true. Mikasa and Armin stared at the still curled up captain, who by this time had stopped crying.

"So if you think about it, he's more human than the rest of us." Connie added, arms spread out to indicate everyone there.

 _How can I be more human than them when the blood of everyone I have killed are on my hands?_

Levi remained where he was, unsure what to do or say. Too many thoughts ran through his head. He still felt horrible for the deaths he had caused, and yet what Connie said had a point. At this point in time he didn't know what to believe anymore.

For the rest of the night there were no more arguments. The next morning they all awoke feeling closer together than ever before. Once more they were a tight knit family again, no longer than just a squad trying to survive.

=3=

Death: I really wanted to add more in this chapter, but then I felt that this is a good place to end. Plus, a lot of shit went down already.

Next chapter is the run in with the assassins.

Please leave a review.


	11. Old Scars

Death: I edited chapters 6 to 10, and I hope I made them better. Please read over those chapters if you wish to see the slight changes I made. It would be preferable for chapter 10, that one underwent the most small changes.

Warning: this chapter gets a little gory.

 **Chapter Eleven** Old Scars

=3=

Early in the morning, before the sun peeked over the horizon, Levi lead three members of his squad into the city. Under his discretion, they all left behind anything that resembled the Survey Corp. Levi even left behind his trademark ascot, for everyone knew of his style of clothes by now.

Levi was back in his black pants he had in his secret mission. He didn't have his black shirt, and settled for the white one he traded with Krysta. The girl was going to attempt to clean his shirt while he borrowed hers.

He doubted the stains will ever come out. Even so, she was going to try. And he was grateful for it.

As soon as the four entered the city limits, they snuck around grabbing dark cloaks. Levi managed to persuade someone to _borrow_ two horses and an empty carriage. In truth, he attempted to buy the whole set with a large sum of money he had. However, the bastard decided to try and raise the price to a ridiculous range that he did not have.

Needless to say, the man got a knife to his throat. The pathetic seller settled to hand the horses and carriage for free. Levi handed him the money so he wouldn't tell anyone of the transaction. When it was done, he had Jean and Armin stay with the carriage, instructing them to appear as if they were going on a long journey.

He was honestly surprised Jean came along at all. After what he had said last night, Levi felt sure that Horse Face would have stayed behind. But this morning he found Jean sitting at a table, ready to set out for the day as if nothing happened.

He left with Sasha to stealthily scout the buildings. Levi had her keep an eye on the building where the Military Police had Erwin captive. Meanwhile, he studied the ins and outs of the records building he had been into before. He happened to be lucky he didn't need binoculars. With the knowledge he had the best eyes around, he focused in on the building.

 _After my break in last time, it might be a little harder to get in there at night. These unicorns have been taking their jobs way too seriously as of late._

Even though it was riskier to go inside during the day, he felt that it would be far better than at night. In the day, the guards were more relaxed, and less prone to suspect a break in. After studying the building for half an hour, he chose his targeted window.

Levi was silent as he made his way over the rooftops. He stopped every now and then scan the area around him. He couldn't shake off the feeling Kenny wouldn't remain silent much longer on the sidelines. And this time, he knew that the man wouldn't be alone on going after the squad that escaped.

 _Come to think of it, this is something I would stage. Keep an eye out for the enemy to move close to a destination, and then corner them while they're scattered._

Levi hesitated from his leap of faith onto the records building. His instincts proved to be right to hold back a few more minutes when a shot rang through the air. It missed his head by a mere few inches. Quickly he leaped off the building, twirling in the air as he used his gear to get away as fast as possible.

Shots fired after him, and they all missed. Levi had too much training with Kenny on how to maneuver out of the line of fire. He peeked back to see the only person who could give Kenny a runner up on crazy of the group.

"I've been looking forward to this day, Levi! The best of the best, could possibly even take out the very best! Let's see if I can finally kill the little runt today!" She laughed as he managed to keep up with him.

"No, thanks." He responded as he increased his speed and started his best trick to rid his pursuer.

Even at his best, she managed to stick with him. She was even gaining on him. This disturbed him, for she had improved greatly since the last time he saw her three years prior.

 _Am I getting rusty? Or is my age finally catching up to me?_

"HAHAHAHAHA! Is that the best you got, you little shrimp? Because if it is, you're pathetic! I thought you were the fastest, the strongest, the best out of all of us! Even better than Kenny!" Liucretsia laughed.

He ignored her tactics to rile him up. Levi focused on pushing his limits, something he hadn't done in a long time. He rounded a building, almost colliding with Sasha. He expertly moved out of her way, drawing out his swords as he passed, noting she already had hers out.

Sasha quickly recovered from the near collision and swung her blades at his pursuer.

"I'M SORRY!" She screamed as she missed, only managing to cut a rooftop open and colliding inside the building.

Levi in the meantime made quick ease to slice her pursuer in half. Together, the two followed after the carriage that was on the run. The moment the four were reunited, more of the Anti-Personnel Control Squad made their move. They were suddenly surrounded, as they were attempting to cut them off from escaping. Levi caught sight of stolen rifles in the carriage, and Armin was shaking as he held one up.

He hesitated too long to take the shot.

Levi swung in, slicing the man that was about to kill Armin. He stopped when he felt he vertebrae against his blade and pulled out. Blood and guts spilled everywhere, mainly his shoulder and side. He glared at the shivering blond.

"Get your pathetic ass to work, Arlett! Do you want to die today!?"

He had been too preoccupied glaring darkly at Armin to notice someone coming his way. The boy raised a pointed finger. Levi didn't have enough time to turn when he was suddenly collided in the air. The air was knocked out of him as the pair collided through a tavern window. They rolled on the floor, broken glass scattered, and some of it pierced them from their entrance.

"Excuse me! I'm here to take care of the bad guys!"

Levi felt his heart stop at the sound of the voice. He scrambled through the now open window, launching into the air. Levi turned to follow the carriage, but was stopped when she caught him in midair again, this time pinning him against a building. Liucretsia was the only reason why he wasn't falling to his death below.

"Oh, no, you're not going anywhere, _runt_. I have a present for you."

Levi stared at her. No, this wasn't his childhood friend. Right now this woman was something worse.

Liucretsia the Bloodthirsty was staring him down with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"I don't want any presents from you." He choked out, as the tight grip on him was squeezing the breath out of him.

"Oh? You sure about that? You don't want to see your precious commander, then? I was gonna let you live, but as my prisoner. You get to be in a cell across from Erwin, and if you tell us everything you know about these runaways, then you get to spend precious time together." Liucretsia grinned at the offer, watching him squirm as he thought over his options.

 _They figured out Erwin and I are closer than normal. Shit._

Levi gulped. He opened his mouth, gathering as much courage as he could.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that. You see... I'm already their prisoner for killing nine people a few nights ago. And should you take me away, they'll kill Eren for your actions."

This was a huge bluff, and if he pulled it off, then she might leave them alone for a short period of time. He could see the gears turning inside Liucretsia, as she mulled over the new information. But then he saw the uncertainty in those eyes. Liucretsia growled, reaching for her knife.

 _Damn it! She figured me out!_

"Don't ever lie to me again, got it runt!"

Before Levi could pull out Talon, as his blades were broken, his exposed neck was cut open. The stinging pain caused him to gasp, and gratefully, the cut wasn't too deep. But it was a long, straight line, almost over the veins. As Liucretsia admired the blood flow, Levi took his chance. He pushed her away, and as he fell a few feet he used his gear to get away.

He now wished he had the ascot more than ever. It could have prevented the cut from being nothing more than a scratch. Or if it had been in his pocket, he would be using it to slow the bleeding down. However, he had more important matters to worry about as he followed the sounds of gunshots.

He drew out two fresh blades, as the previous ones broke from his landing earlier. He dashed his way back to the carriage, and landed inside. Armin was reloading a gun, and so was Sasha. Levi saw someone standing with either foot on the back of each horse. Jean was in a panic as a gun was pointed at him.

 _No one is dying under my watch._

Levi skillfully jumped over the carriage seat, sending his blades through the man's middle. When the gurgling died, he withdrew his blades, quickly putting them away and allowed the dead man to fall. Just before they ran into the small tunnel for their escape, Levi quickly sat down on one of the horses and held onto the short mane tightly.

It was then that he realized something was off. The group that attacked them were too easily given up at the tight tunnel that barely fit the carriage. And something else made his heart stop.

Kenny the Ripper hadn't been among the group chasing them.

 _Shit. They were to keep us from returning in time to get to the others. He's after Eren!_

He tturned to peer over his shoulder despite the pain. His frantic eyes met Horse Face, and he seemed to have caught on that something was off by judging the captain's expression. Jean frowned, wondering what had the captain so worked up.

"Don't slow this carriage! That group was a decoy! Kenny is after Eren back at base!" Levi yelled over the hooves of the horses.

Everyone in the carriage felt their hearts sink.

=3=

Meanwhile, some twenty minutes before the showdown, Hange and two members of their squad were on their way to visit Erwin in the dungeon. They have been granted a short visit, and to be frank, Hange was amazed they were being allowed to visit.

They were checked for any hidden weapons. When given the clear, they were brought to Erwin's cell. Hange hated seeing Erwin like this. He was their commander, he shouldn't be in the dungeons. Hange felt their stomach lurch at the sight of him.

Last time he was seen, he had stubble on his face. Now it was an almost beard, and it made him seem older. His strong figure was hunched over as he sat on the bed, as if he was defeated.

"Erwin Smith." Hange cleared their throat.

The man gazed up in surprise. He made his way over to the bars, and despite how depressed he was, he flashed a grin at the sight of a familiar face. There was a hint of worry in his eyes, too.

"Good to see you, Hange. How's Levi?"

Hange bit their lip nervouly at the question.

"You don't know what's happened, do you?"

"What do you mean? Please tell me he's all right."

"The Special Forces Squad has escaped. But in the process, they have killed nine people. Five of them were Military Police, and then four were Survey Corp."

Hange hated being the bearer of bad news.

Silence filled the dungeon.

"I see." Was all Erwin could manage.

Hange waved the other two away. They hesitated, but left. As soon as they were gone to distract the two guards down the way, Hange leaned closer to whisper.

"He warned me the night before they escaped that he was about to something very stupid and dangerous. I honestly can't hate him for what he did, but several members are furious at the Special Forces Squad."

Erwin stared at Hange, taking all of this in. He understood what was being suggested.

"He did it for the good of the Survey Corp, so they won't be suspected that they helped the squad to escape."

"And I'm not sure if everyone will see that."

"We'll come to that bridge at a later time. I thank you for the news. Did he say anything else?"

There was hope in those eyes.

"There was one thing. He said something I didn't think I would hear from him." Hange smiled as the commander became curious.

"What did he say, Hange?"

"He said he loves you. And that he's sorry for what he has done, and that when this is all over he hopes you will stay with him." Hange added the last part because they knew that's what Levi wanted the most.

It was his motive for why he had gone to such drastic measures to ensure everyone's safety in the first place. Even at the cost of four people's lives, Levi made it seem his squad went rogue and turned on everyone else. And knowing the captain, when it came to trial over the matter, he would step up and take full responsibility so his squad remained untouched by the government.

That was what bothered Hange the most. At the end of all of this, someone had to answer for the deaths of nine people. The government would never forgive and forget the loss of five MP's.

"Of course I will stay with him. Wait, he said he loved me?" Erwin perked up at the idea.

"Yes. He professed his love for you loud and clear. I wish you heard it yourself, but I'm afraid to say I have to pass it along." Hange cracked a smile.

"He actually said it." Erwin could hardly believe it.

 _We never exchanged our feelings for each other, but we both felt it._

Hange was about to go into the test results when suddenly a group of Military Police came marching towards them. By the looks on their faces, they meant business.

"I'm sorry we have to cut this short, but the city us under attack by rebels. The Anti-Personnel Control Squad are taking care of them as we speak. However, we still need to escort you back to your base under precaution."

"All right, then." Hange didn't fight it. As they were leaving, Hange went over the name of the squad they never heard of.

 _I wonder if they are assassins under the guise of a squad so the MP's don't question their presence._

=3=

Just as Levi had figured out, Kenny and a few others have made their attack at the cottages. As soon as they drew near and heard the commotion, Levi launched into the air. He caught sight of two assassins carrying two people and fled. The captain sped after them, catching sight of Eren and Krysta.

 _Fuck! They knew who she really was? Shit shit shit shit SHIT!_

He couldn't rescue both of them at once. There was only so much weight he and the gear could handle. As he raced after them, he heard someone join him, matching his speed. He caught sight of a red scarf.

"You rescue Eren! I'll focus on Krysta!" Levi instructed, and together he and Mikasa increased speed tenfold.

They were almost upon the two assassins when they were intercepted. Levi nearly collided with none other than Kenny the Ripper. The man had actual blades in his gear for once, and the two were blade to blade. Levi scowled, gritting his teeth at Kenny's grin.

"If you want to rescue them, then you have to go through me!" Kenny bellowed, and Liucretsia laughed with him.

 _How in the world did she get here so fast...?_

Levi felt a little disturbed how she was there with them. He glanced over to see Mikasa holding her own against Liucretsia the Bloodthirsty. He returned his focus on his uncle, swinging his other blade at him. Kenny met him blow for blow, and when Levi resorted to his tricks, the elder knew how to deflect them. He knew every move his nephew ever used.

Levi felt doubt fill his head.

 _How can he match my speed? I'm the faster out of the two of us..._

He could hear Mikasa having trouble with Liucretsia as well. But she had full blown determination, and her mind was focused on the task. How was Levi not faring at his best? Was this even his best, be wondered. He felt that he was lacking something to be able to take care of Kenny.

"I see the doubt in your eyes, runt." Kenny sneered.

Levi ignored Liucretsia's laughter echoing in the forest, and Mikasa's glare.

"Do you wanna know why you're lacking, Levi? I'm sure you noticed you're not as fast as before."

"Quit your babbling and get out of my way, old man. Your prime days are over." Levi responded coldly, aiming at his uncle's ribs.

Kenny barely dodged in time, his vest, however, suffered a cut. Miraculously his shirt escaped without a scratch.

"Oho! There's my nephew! For a minute, I thought you went _weak_ from working with a bunch of pussies of the Survey Corp!" Kenny laughed, seemingly not even bothered he escaped a close call.

Levi could hear more of his squad closing in. He didn't have to glance around to see that they were also intercepted by more assassins coming out of nowhere and everywhere at once. He was too busy keeping his eyes on Kenny, not willing to fall victim of his uncle's tricks of his own.

"Everyone here knows me as Kenny Ackerman. Let me tell ya my nickname. Kenny the Ripper! My lieutenant there is Liucretsia the Bloodthirsty! Anyone wanna know this runt's nickname among us?"

Levi felt the blood leave his face, and his skin became paler than it already was.

"Oi! Keep your eyes on me at all times, old man!" Levi swerved around to his uncle's side, and attempted to slash him again. Kenny back flipped out of line of the sword, barely able to keep his hat on his head.

"Ladies and gentleman! I present to you Levi the Blood Storm!" Kenny laughed as he blocked a blade that was aimed for his neck with his own blade.

"He is the storm that kills everyone who gets too close. Anyone who dares to challenge him, end up dead, swifter than the winds of a storm. And just like a storms temper, he slays anyone else in his way. Just like the nine people he killed a few nights ago! Including four of your own Scouts!"

The captain felt the air shift around him. Levi felt the uncomfortable stares at his back, and he heard Liucretsia's high pitched laughter echo in the air. He ignored all of it, his focus was only Kenny.

"Leave them out of this. This is between you, and me. Now are you going to fight me, or shall I kill you now and get this over with?" Levi hissed darkly, his eyes wild, and his demons were fighting to take over.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Having enough of his uncle's foolishness, he began a a barrage of swift attacks. Kenny struggled to deflect and block, but as this only served to piss his nephew off even more, Levi found the speed he had been searching for. At some point, he had enough messing with Kenny, and sliced open his shoulder. Kenny had reacted too late, but the cut wasn't too deep, but he was losing blood.

With his uncle out of the way, Levi sped after the assassin who had Krysta. She reached a small hand out to him, as she tried to escape. But the assassin had a good grip on her, and Levi felt his gear struggling with so little gas left to keep up. He used a blade as an extended arm, piecing through the man's heart. The pair began to fall, and he dived down to catch her.

"Captain! Look out!" Krysta warned him, her eyes drawn above him.

He didn't have time to turn his attention behind him when a shot fired through his shoulder. The same one Kenny had shot him a few months back. This time the bullet went through, taking the older bullet with it. The exit wound was far bigger than the entry wound, and he felt dizzy immediately after his own blood sprayed his face, sticking to his hair and clothes.

And then his gear ran out of gas.

The last he heard were screams all around from his squad. But he heard Kenny's words loud and clear.

"If you truly want to beat us, you have to embrace the dark side of your heart. Become Levi the Blood Storm again, and you just might have a chance. As you are now, you're a pussy, just like the silly Scouts."

One of his wires caught in some branches, and he hung there, upside down. Levi lost consciousness when he couldn't fight the dizziness anymore.

He awoke to a strange sight. It took him a moment to realize he was upside down. The words Kenny had spoken rang in his head. Levi peered down to see his squad trying to figure out how to get him down safely. It was dark, his head hurt, and he was pretty sure he lost a bit of blood.

 _Did they think I was dead? Why is it taking them so long?_

He searched for his blades, only to find they had somehow unattached themselves and were down on the forest floor. He checked his back up blades to find they, too, had fallen. Levi reached for Talon, and felt relieved that his knife had stayed in his pocket.

Someone noticed he was moving.

Mikasa pulled herself up a branch close to him with her gear. She watched him carefully.

"They don't know what to think of you, now."

 _After last night's progress? Great. Is that why they left me up here for so long?_

"What are your plans?"

"Did you guys rescue Eren and Krysta?"

"No. And we couldn't keep up with them to see where they took them."

"Then rescuing them is my top priority. How did it go with the merchants?"

"Not well. The man I told you about was going to think about it, but when we left for a few minutes, we came back to him dead. His son is going to meet with us tomorrow. Apparently he witnessed the murder of his father by the hands of Kenny and his group."

Somehow, that didn't surprise him.

"Why was I left up here? I'm positive I lost a fair amount of blood from hanging here."

"We just found you. It took us a while to double back and search for every tree in the dark to find you."

Levi wasn't sure if she was telling the truth. He stared at her for a moment.

"Catch me."

"What?"

"I'm cutting myself out of the gear. I'm too far up to survive a fall. So, catch me." He didn't wait for a response when he started working on the straps with Talon. When one leg was free, it was a strain to free the other as gravity took its toll. Still he managed to free himself from his gear and fell.

He enjoyed the few seconds of free fall before Mikasa swooped in and caught him. With little trouble they landed on the ground next to the others. Levi struggled with his equilibrium now that he was upright again, and blood loss didn't help any.

"You look like hell." Jean was the first to speak, as everyone shared the same thought.

How was their captain not yet dead?

He could read it in their eyes.

"Guess there was enough of that gene in me that I didn't die. I still feel like shit, though."

"So your name was Levi the Blood Storm?" Sasha inquisitively asked.

The entire squad stared at her with horror to even question the origin. Some even stepped away from her out of fear of being in the crossfire of the captain's wrath.

He stared at her with guarded narrow eyes.

"Yes. Ironically, Erwin saw the storm in me. He said I was the storm the Survey Corp needed to aspire everyone to get back on their feet and keep fighting. And yet here I am, with the blood of so many lives on my hands. I honestly don't know if I am still the storm Erwin saw."

"So what do we do now?" Armin bit his lip.

"We meet up with the merchant's son tomorrow. I bet he has connections on where the Reiss family live. And if he's on our side, then he can have the people riot as he spreads words that the Survey Corp is innocent, and we were set up. With everyone distracted, that's when we make our move on the Reiss family."

"What makes you so sure Eren and Krysta are with the Reiss family?" Connie inquired.

"Why else would she be kidnapped? Eren is one thing. Krysta, or Hystoria, in this case, is a different matter entirely. I remember a rumor going around some years ago that the head of the Reiss family lost all heirs. I didn't put two and two together until now that Erwin was seeking the only remaining heir of the Reiss family, for the rumors also said something about a lost bastard child on the miss."

"But why kidnap Eren?" Mikasa eyed him, her expression dark.

"That, I can't answer." Levi shrugged.

"Perhaps he's seen too dangerous to be running around? Or they might try and use him. The Reiss family is among the richest families in the Inner City. What better way to ensure the only heir to the family doesn't die, and hence forth the family line dies? If you wanted your family to continue, then wouldn't you want the best protection there is?" Armin speculated.

 _Sounds plausible, but I get the feeling it's more than that._

Levi kept his thoughts to himself. He felt another wave of dizziness hit him, and he almost swerved.

"Let's find a different place to camp. But first, I'm going to need a fire and some bandages."

Half an hour later, they were back at the cottages. Armin started a small fire, and Sasha gathered thr bandages and a large bowl of clean water. Levi, with some help from Connie and Jean, carefully removed his shirt to reveal the bullet wound. Everyone gasped at the sight.

Even though the bleeding stopped, it was grisly. Levi gently pressed both sides with a wet cloth to clean it. Sasha was figuring out what he was doing, and grabbed a stick that was only burning at the tip.

"Anyone with a weak stomach, leave. This is going to be gruesome." Levi warned, nodding to Potato Girl.

No one moved away. Sasha gulped, then put the small flame against the exit wound. Levi hissed, but otherwise didn't make a sound. The smell of burnt flesh and blood overtook the air, making Jean and Connie go green. Armin paled as if he had seen a ghost. Sasha pulled the now kindling flame away, checking if the wound needed more burning.

The exit wound was now covered with burnt skin, all pulled tighter to close the wound. Pressing her lips in a thin line, Sasha put the kindling back into the fire ad chose a different stick to match the circumference of the entry wound on his back shoulder. She found one and then did the same procedure on the wound.

Levi was more prepared, or perhaps he couldn't see it being done, and he was completely silent.

"What about your neck? It's not that deep, but it's way too close to your veins." Sasha pointed out the thin line on his neck.

"I'll keep it clean and change the bandages everyday. Anyone seen my ascot? I can use it to cover the bandages."

Armin remembered where he had seen it last, and went to fetch it. Meanwhile, the others couldn't help but stare at the captain's upper torso, now that they had the chance to. There were scars all over his front and back, and a few along his arms. And to their horror, there were even a few scars on his neck they had never seen before.

"Are these...all from your training?" Mikasa was the first person in the squad to inquire about them.

Levi stared at her with indifference in his eyes.

"Yes and no. My uncle is responsible for the ones on my back. Liucretsia has this obsession of slicing my neck open. I don't quite remember his name, but someone kidnapped me and caused these scars on my front and my arms."

Levi shuddered from the memories.

"You don't remember your kidnappers name?" Mikasa blinked, finding a similarity between them other than appearance and talent with the gear.

"No. And I would rather not. He's dead anyway, so it doesn't matter." Levi was growing increasingly uncomfortable being exposed like this. He would hate to see their horror if they saw the scars on his legs.

Levi solved the solution by putting his shirt back on. He didn't care about the damages. Just as he was done buttoning the shirt up Armin returned with the ascot.

"Let's get going. We have a long night ahead of us. And let's take all the gear and gas we can carry in the carriage. We're going to need them if we come across the assassins again."

The move to a different location took most of the night. Upon finding the abandoned storage building near the village they had to appear in the morning, everyone was exhausted. Levi wanted to take first watch, but Mikasa wouldn't allow him. She put her foot down, on the fact he needed sleep more than anyone else at this point.

"I can't sleep."

"You're still not going to have first watch." Mikasa blatantly ignored his wishes.

"What makes you override my decision again?" Levi narrowed his eyes at her.

"The fact I'm second in command in this squad. It is my duty to take over command when you're injured to the point you need rest. If I remember correctly, you named me as second in command the moment you named us as your new squad." Mikasa stood her ground against him.

"Besides, captain, you need to rest. You have serious wounds, and we all know you haven't been sleeping well." Sasha pointed out.

"It's called insomnia. I'm not tired." Levi was being stubborn.

"I would rather you take it easy tonight than overwork yourself. None of us want to see you pass out from exhaustion." His cousin warned.

"I've never passed out from exhaustion in my life." Levi felt outnumbered now.

"Would you disagree with Erwin if he was the one ordering you to sleep?" Armin piped up.

The air went cold from the question. Levi stared at the blond boy, his eyes unyielding on what he was thinking in his head. Finally, after an intense moment, he gave up. Armin hit a soft spot with him.

"Fine. I'll try and sleep. Make sure we don't get attacked and get killed out here." Levi went inside the small building, which only contained containers of gas for the gear.

And strangely enough, sleeping bags, enough for the squad. Levi unrolled one, patting out the dust, and crawled inside it, making sure he was on the uninjured shoulder.

Levi as asleep in minutes.

=3=

Death: Aha! What do you think? I felt in the manga Kenny was underestimated, and could have been become a better character if you saw more of him. That's how I feel anyway.

Liucretsia isn't in the same league of friends to Levi compared to Isabel, Petra, or his old love Farlan. Just wanted to make that clear.

Levi the Blood Storm. What do you think of it? I thought of what Erwin said Levi was a storm, so I wanted to go more into that and make it a little darker for his days as an assassin.

Anyway please review~


	12. The Blood Storm Part I

Death: This chapter delves a little deeper into Levi's past. And exactly how he got the nickname among the assassins.

 **Warning: I do NOT agree with the actions of rape or incest, or sexual abuse of ANY KIND. If this sort of thing triggers you, PLEASE skip to after the training bit, or go back and stop reading.**

 **Chapter Twelve** The Blood Storm Part I

=3=

It was cold, and dark. Then again, his entire world had been dark. He didn't know how long he had been sitting there, legs curled up against his chest. All he knew was that he hadn't eaten in so long, he forgot what bread tasted like.

And he knew his mother was dead, on the bed.

The smell of death was strong. And he finally understood what that extra funny smell was outside in the Underground City. He wanted to venture out of the house and find a way to survive, but he no longer had the energy. He also didn't know anyone who could possibly help him.

His mother rarely took him outside. Being born blind, she became afraid of him ever walking off on his own. And so he was cooped up in this tiny house waiting for her to return with food.

He didn't know what she did for food, but he would rather not know.

This dark world of his had been rotten from the very start. He was starting to think the world didn't need him, as Lady Death took his mother away. What chances did he have to survive? He was only eight, and blind, and he knew the city outside these walls wouldn't care if he died or not.

The few times he did go out showed him how cruel this city was. And it was enough for him to hide back inside the house, just as his mother wanted, to keep him safe.

But she's dead. He closed his eyes, ready to accept death. And then he heard unfamiliar footsteps. He opened his eyes out of habit, staying perfectly still as someone entered the house.

The person was wearing boots, and by the way they walked, the person was a man. He learned from the few explorations outside with his mother that men had a different sound when they walked. Their steps were heavier, as they wore boots or heavy shoes. The women wore softer shoes, and their feet were more graceful. Even if both genders were barefoot, he could tell by listening to their feet and the sound of their weight whether they were male or female.

The intruder stood by the bed. He didn't think the man even noticed him. He gathered up the courage to speak.

"She's dead, you know."

His voice was raspy, but it was still loud enough for the intruder to hear. The man turned, now focusing on him. The room was filled with silence for a moment.

"You're her brat, then? Or did you come in here hiding from the outside world because she's dead?" The voice was rough, and he didn't recognize it.

The man sounded a little old, and yet he seemed to be in good health. Most men after a certain age walked around with a limp, or their breath labored from the stale air from being underground. This man had neither of those problems.

"She's all I've known since I was little. Do you honestly believe a blind kid survived eight years by himself down here?" He responded, some of his snarky personality came through, it had been so long since he interacted with anyone.

Those boots came closer. He heard the soft rubbing of clothes bending as the man knelt to study him. The boy stared forward, never showing any weakness.

"So you're her runt, after all. You look like her, all right. And you're only eight? You're just a runt. Figured you were younger. How long have you been blind?" The voice seemed a little softer, but still rough around the edges.

"According to her, since I was born."

"And let me guess, she kept you hidden in the house, right?"

"For the most part. If I was good at cleaning she brought me outside when she wasn't working. But even then, that wasn't often."

"What's your name, runt?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? You're intruding my home."

"Well, then, if you're going to be so rude to your elder, the name's Kenny. Your mother happens to be my little sister. I came here to check on her. And she went and died on me, and you're sitting here ready to accept death." The man growled, seemingly annoyed.

This came to a surprise to the boy. He had always inquired his mother if they had more family. She always told him the same answer, no.

"...Levi. She never told me we had family."

"Well, the family disowned her about nine years ago when she got hitched, pregnant, and wouldn't name the lucky bastard who sired the kid. Guess that's you, then. I didn't have any say on the matter, and she fled into the Underground City before she gave birth." Kenny explained.

 _So that's what happened. And it's all my fault..._

"So it is my fault." Levi had a sinking feeling that it was his fault they were like this, but even though his mother said otherwise, her voice was strained.

"Look, don't get all suicidal on me. Got it? I'm taking you in. You and I are all that's left of the family. Well, aside from an oddball couple in the mountains, but they want nothing to do with me. But how would you like to get out of this hellhole, runt?"

Levi didn't have to think about his answer. He reached out to his so called uncle, not caring if this was a trap or not. Kenny helped him to his feet, and Levi wobbled after the man, refusing to be carried.

Levi was going to survive, now. And this time around he wasn't going to be babied. Kenny didn't press the issue, understanding where his nephew was coming from.

 _A Few Months Later..._

It took some time for Levi to gain weight, but after two months he was no longer skin and bones. He had been so small Kenny was able to sneak him to the outside, and brought him to his mediocre home, just outside the inner city walls.

Levi spent this time to get to know his way around the house. It was a two story, three bedroom house. Least to say, he wasn't used to so much space. The house his mother owned was a one bedroom, a kitchen in the corner, and nothing else. The only furniture was the bed and a chair.

Here, his uncle had a lot more furniture. The first few days he lost count how many times he tripped, walked into, or hit his head against some form of furniture. Kenny laughed at his expense every time, and never bothered to warn him before he walked into a chair or a table.

He was starting to suspect the man was doing this on purpose.

After a week it was becoming easier for him to get around. Levi was starting to feel secure now that he knew where everything was located. And he didn't know how to feel when Kenny came home one day with clothes for him.

"Why are you doing this?" Levi inquired, after he finished putting on a pair of pants and a shirt.

"You and I are last of the family. And I'm not going to stand by and allow you to die so pathetically like your mother."

"Why not just make kids? I'm blind, I'm a hindrance."

"Runt, I'm too old for that shit. Besides, no one wants me. Not that I care, anyway."

Levi knew how to catch lies just by the sound of someone's voice. He focused on where his uncle was, and caught his uncle by surprise by raising his tiny hands to feel the man's face. Levi knew what his mother's face looked, just by feel. He could already feel the resemblance between his mother and her brother.

They have the same nose. Same narrow cheeks, and a small, but rectangular forehead. The only slight difference he could find between his mother and this man was that Kenny had a slightly wider jawline, making his face a little broader but still narrow. And even though he had a feeling Kenny was a lot older than he appeared, he felt only a few wrinkles around the eyes.

"You're not too bad. Why would anyone not be interested with you? Or is it because of your rash attitude?"

"Look, kid, just drop it."

Levi didn't have to hear the strain in Kenny's voice to know he hit a nerve. He pulled his hands away, filing the information away. He had only meant it as a joke, but he hit a sore spot instead.

"So what use am I then? I understand you have plans for me. You're not the type of person to go out of his way to help children, whether or not they're related or not."

"You're a smart one, good. That will come in handy later. I'm an assassin for hire, and I plan to take you in as my apprentice. But first, I need to figure out what to do about your eyes. I'm having a doctor coming in to see you later today, so don't be rude, runt."

 _I am growing tired of that word._

"The name is Levi. Stop calling me runt."

The response was instantaneous. One moment he was standing, the next he was pinned to the table, the corners dug into his back. He squirmed, but the grip on his tiny wrists promised no means of escape. He could smell an intense scent of whatever his uncle had been drinking on his breath. It was strong and fowl, stinging his nose.

"I call you what I want. Don't get all high and mighty with me. I could just as easily throw you back in the Underground City, you little shit."

 _But you won't, you said it yourself we're all that's left of the family._

Levi dared not voice his thoughts. He knew this man was dangerous, he was only testing his boundaries. He now found the boubdary not to cross. He understood how things were supposed to be between them from now on.

"Your breath stinks."

"It's called alcohol, brat. And if I find out you ever go through my stash, you're gonna wish you were dead when I'm done with you as punishment. Do you understand?" The threat was loud and clear in his voice.

"Crystal clear."

"Good. The doctor will be here in a few hours. Be sure to be in your best behavior."

Two hours later, Levi was scowling as he sat on the couch. He hated doctors, from his few experiences from when he lived with his mother. The doctor in the Underground City creeped him out, and always had a hand feeling over his ribs and back in a way he didn't like. And the one time the man touched him between his legs, Levi kicked the doctor in the face. The man lost his front teeth, and stopped seeing him as his doctor.

He didn't fully understand his body, but he knew when it was okay or not to be touched in certain places without permission. His mother always drilled such weird matters into his head, not fully explaining why, but he went along with it. He trusted her word for it, and it was enough.

But he couldn't quite trust Kenny. He was grateful for his uncle taking him in, but something was off. He sensed it. And this was one of those situations Levi wished he could see above anything else in the world. If he could see, he could pick up facial expressions and piece together what was going on inside Kenny's head.

Suddenly his uncle entered the living room, followed by someone else. Levi tensed up, biting his lip as he willed himself not to curl up into a tiny ball. He had been warned to behave while the doctor was here.

"So this is the kid? Are you sure he's eight? He's so small..." The voice was younger than Kenny, and Levi decided he liked the sound of it.

"Yeah. My sister left before she gave birth, and hid in the Underground City." Kenny was trying to be a little nicer.

 _So he's two faced. Just as I thought._

He heard unfamiliar footsteps made their way closer to him. He stared ahead, not willing to show he was afraid. The doctor knelt in front of him, noticing how tense the boy was, and decided sitting next to him was out of the option.

"Hey there. I understand your name is Levi? I am Dr. Yeager. How are you feeling today?"

"Good. Minus being seen by a doctor. You're not like the one in the Underground City, are you? The only doctor down there is creepy. Last time I had been seen by him, I kicked his teeth in."

"Levi..." Kenny warned, understanding that if was a threat, but was cut off by Dr. Yeager.

"What exactly did that doctor do?"

"Touched me between my legs."

The air felt heavy immediately after his answer. Maybe the way he said it disturbed them more than the reason alone.

"I promise you, I am not like that man. And I have to say, good for you to kick his teeth in." Dr. Yeager was the first to recover, clearing his throat.

"Maybe there's hope for you yet, kid. That sounds like something I would have done." Kenny praised.

Levi blinked, not used to this side of his uncle. He wouldn't mind to see more of this side, though.

"So, with your permission, Levi, can I examine you? I'm only going to check your eyes, the sound of your heart, and your breathing."

Levi nodded meekly, biting his lip. At least Dr. Yeager told him what he was doing.

He felt a hand over his right eye, as the doctor studied the other one carefully. After a moment, he switched over to the other one. Levi didn't blink during the whole time they were being examined.

"What's the verdict?" Kenny was growing anxious.

"These are strange. Levi, did your mother ever tell you how you became blind?"

"Something about I got sick a few hours I was born. She said I had a fever, and then when I broke through it I lost my eyesight." Levi recited what his mother told him.

"As I thought. If you had been born with the condition, your eyes would have no color. But you have color, so it had to have been an infection or a fever. It's amazing you survived a fever so high that it took your eyesight. Now, don't get jumpy, but I'm going to use my stethoscope to listen to your heart."

Levi felt something cold against the fabric of his shirt. Dr. Yeager listened for about a minute, timing his heartbeats.

"Your heart sounds good. Lean forward please, I have to lift your shirt up. Don't freak out, I have to listen for your lungs."

He did as he was told, his nervousness increased tenfold. Levi bit his lip hard as his shirt was lifted, but not too high, and the stethoscope was placed on his back, just at at the bottom of his ribs. The metal felt cold, but not as cold as before with his chest.

"Breathe in, hold it for a few seconds." Dr. Yeager instructed, moving the cold metal as he listened. "Good. Let it out slowly, like that. Good. Breathe in again, hold it."

The metal moved to the other side of his ribs. When he was done, Dr. Yeager repeated the process but putting the object higher to just below his shoulder blades and listened.

"Your lungs sound good, I'm surprised. Tell me, have you been having three meals a day?" Dr. Yeager inquired.

"Yeah, Kenny cooks better than my mother ever did. Then again, we didn't really have much to cook with. I would have liked to see them have a cook off to see who is best." Levi felt his mood grow sullen, at the fact he would never get to witness an event.

"And has your uncle cooked a healthy meal everytime? You're stunted in your growth, probably from lack of nutrition and sunlight. But you seem to be getting better already after only two months here."

"Well, a lot of the foods he makes I never had before. But it's good. Does that means it's healthy?"

"How about this, can you tell me what he makes for you? Sometimes food that tastes good isn't all that healthy for a growing boy." Dr. Yeager explained.

"Well, for breakfast, he makes fried eggs, toast, and then tea to keep it down. I tried milk, but it made me sick. So he improvised to tea. The toast is a little burnt, but it's edible. The eggs have lots of spices, but it's good too. And then for lunch, he makes veggies and beans. For dinner, I get meat, and on the sides it's always bread, beans, and veggies."

He wasn't aware of it, but the doctor was giving his uncle a look. Kenny stood his ground, not meeting the doctor's eye.

"Well, I'm going to have to suggest to your uncle that he cuts back on the beans. And you need more fruit in your diet."

"What's fruit?"

"I'll pick some up later. I can't buy too much, do you know how expensive fruits are?" Kenny was speaking to the doctor.

"I understand, but he needs fruit in order to grow. He's already behind in his growth, he's the size of a five year old, Kenny."

In the end, Kenny gave in. But even with the special diet he was under, Levi didn't have much of growth spurts. He really wanted to grow, but he was well past the point he could reach his potential. And it made him feel insecure being so small, especially with the nickname _runt_ his uncle would throw at him when he drank too much.

 _Two Years Later_

His time with being trained with another blind assassin had been short. He enjoyed learning from under her, but he knew Kenny wasn't too happy. The man wanted to train him personally, but he knew nothing on how to train a blind person.

And then Levi woke up one day, and was told he wasn't going to be training under the sweet lady.

"From now on, you're training under me. Got it, kid?" Kenny was stern in his voice.

"I don't mind, but I'm still blind."

"I have something that will help." Suddenly Kenny was close to him, and he didn't understand how when the man had been more than five feet away.

He felt a pinch on his arm, something had pierced his vein. Levi flinched away, but it had already been retracted, and suddenly he felt dizzy. Levi swooned, falling over to his right. A strong arm caught him, and that was the last thing he remembered.

Levi woke up three days later, and his eyes worked. It was a shock to his brain, and he had to take to them slowly. The sun was always too bright, and he avoided it as much as he could, making sure all the window drapes were closed.

It took a few weeks, but he gradually grew used to the bright sun. What Levi fell in love with the most were the colors. He found he liked the deep green of the grass, and the wonderful different shades of blue of the sky. Levi saw a bird fly high up, and his breath was caught at the sight.

From then on, he didn't mind his height. He found similarities between his small frame and a bird, and admired how they continued on with life, content being so small. And so Levi trained himself to be as graceful as a bird, as strange as it sounded.

He still had the insecurity of his height, he knew it would always be there. But he felt better about it as he trained under his uncle. Kenny didn't mind his movements to mimic a bird, for he understood everyone had a style of their own in fighting. Rather, his uncle encouraged it.

Levi learned how to wield a knife. He practiced everyday, as a routine, and could use even the smallest kitchen knife as the perfect weapon. He became best with a curved knife, these kind felt natural, like a bird's talon, and Kenny was impressed to say the least.

He learned how society worked. He understood when to be polite, and when not, but Levi didn't give a rat's ass and didn't sugar coat anything he said. It was something he picked up from Kenny, only his favorite curse word wasn't _fuck_ but _shit_. Eventually even Kenny picked up on that one.

Everything changed when he turned thirteen.

He was told on his birthday by Kenny that the hardest part of training was going to start. And that to be an assassin, one must endure all kinds of torture from psychological, emotional, physical, and sexual.

"You tell no one about what I have to do to you, got that, you little shit?" Kenny narrowed his eyes at him, a dangerous glint in his pale blue grey eyes.

Levi didn't understand why, but agreed anyways. He learned later that he should have inquired more about it.

He passed the psychological, emotional and physical torture with flying colors. However, the end result, Levi was probably worse off in the head than before he went through the various ways of torture. He saw sides of his uncle he never wanted to see again. But it had nothing compared to the sexual torture, the kind he didn't understand when Kenny first mentioned it.

It happened without warning, as that was how torture worked in his training. It was to come at random, and there was never a pattern that Kenny had used. He couldn't have his nephew predict the tortures and turn it against his mentor.

Perhaps what scarred him the most was the fact the first sexual torture happened on his fourteenth birthday.

Levi had lied about what he had said to Erwin. He hated himself for it, but Levi didn't want Erwin to pity him. And knowing the man, he would have started to treat him differently. It was already difficult when telling him about one asshole who kidnapped him and caused a great number of scars more than Kenny ever did, was enough for Erwin to change his views of him. And the fact the man was dead put the commander at ease.

Kenny, on the other hand, Levi didn't want Erwin to take upom himself to kill Kenny. This was Levi's resolve.

But the entire day of his fourteenth name day, he was tied up. He experienced the whipping, which confused him. And then he felt a weird object inserted his ass. It stung, but didn't hurt.

"What...what are you doing?" Levi breathed out, unable to see as he was blindfolded.

"The start of your sexual torture." Was all the warning Kenny gave him before he pulled the object out, and something much bigger, hotter, and made of flesh entered him.

For the first time in the torture training Levi screamed.

It hurt. It was the kind of pain he had never before experienced. Perhaps what made it worse was how deep the emotional pain was. Up until that point in time Kenny had his full trust. Over the years Levi had grown to trust his uncle. He didn't like his uncle, but the trust ran deep, since if it weren't for Kenny he wouldn't be alive right now.

Kenny was ruthless for his first time. He didn't make it pleasurable for Levi, and he ignored the screams and pleads for it all to stop. Kenny continued pounding hard and fast into his nephew, and even kept going after he spent a load inside, for he was still hard.

The man didn't stop until his fifth release. By this time Levi couldn't even speak, his voice had been lost from all the screaming that nearly tore his throat. He felt relieved that it had been over, but he was wrong.

"Since today is your birthday, I'm taking your ass fourteen times today. Thirteen more rounds to go, and you're now a man."

Kenny had the sense to give Levi breaks in between fucks. Levi spent the entire day tied up against the bed, on his stomach. The only time he was allowed to move was when he was being fed or allowed to use the restroom. Other than the brief few moments of freedom, he spent the day on the bed, his sore ass to be taken at his uncle's whim.

The thirteen times were all painful, and he stopped making any sounds by the twelfth. He had completely lost his voice. Levi lost any sense of emotion, all he knew was pain throughout his body.

And then, for the last so called special gift from his uncle, he changed it up. Kenny was gentle when he undid the ropes, and flipped his nephew over. Levi stared blankly at the ceiling, not giving a care. Until a finger entered him, but all he did was flinch.

To his surprise, the finger had been gentle. And he didn't understand why Kenny was doing this, for his entrance was slick from the previous fourteen times, and all of them Kenny released more than once. He didn't need anymore stretching either, and finally had blank eyes stared at his uncle.

Kenny's handsome features were guarded under his mask. There was no hint of his thoughts in his eyes, the same color as Levi's. He had been so eager to be able to have the ability to see, so he could more easily read Kenny. But even with this sense, he still couldn't figure out what was going on inside his uncle's head.

And then the finger brushed against a spot.

Levi was caught off guard, and he released a soft, hoarse gasp while his back arched. He narrowed his eyes at his uncle, silently questioning what Kenny was playing at. His uncle didn't give him an answer, and instead inserted a second finger, and both rubbed that spot a little rougher.

This time Levi closed his eyes, arching his neck. His body shook, already so sore from the day's experience, and he felt spent as it was. And yet he could feel heat coiling in his lower abdomen. He fought against it, but it was a losing battle the more Kenny abused that spot.

The moment a third finger was added, Levi felt his erection stiffen. He moaned, and finally he gave up and allowed his muscles to relax. Levi opened his eyes to stare into mirrored eyes, and both of them shivered. Their eyes remained locked, unable to look away.

When Kenny had enough and entered, he didn't pause as he used the same gruelling pace as the previous times. Levi found the usual pain, but it was glossed over by newfound pleasure. With his voice lost, his moans were just soft breaths. Their eyes were still trained on each other, lost in the mirror of the colors. Levi reached up and wrapped his free arms around Kenny's broad shoulders, and he raised his hips to meet the fast paced thrusts.

For the first time they came together.

"Congratulations, you pass the sexual torture test. And in your first try." Kenny breathed out, after he had recovered from the day's events.

Levi stared, sending him a questioned look on his face.

"If someone can enjoy it, then there's no point to continue that part of training. Must say, you just might surpass me one day. And if you want to explore sex, you're not getting it from me. I only did this because it's part of the training." Kenny explained further.

For the next few months things were awkward between them.

Kenny wouldn't meet his eyes, and Levi didn't understand his mind. His body wanted more, but his mind had to remind his body that Kenny was his fucking _uncle_ and that sort of thing wasn't _normal_ at all.

For the rest of his training everything was a breeze.

Levi moved on, and eventually met some of the other apprentices of Kenny's. He didn't think much of them, other than Liucretsia. The girl was beautiful, with her perfect curves, round breasts that were perked and bouncy, her tanned skin, soft blond hair, and honey brown eyes, it was easy for her to catch his eye. But he quickly figured out he wasn't into females, after having a one night stand with her that left him feeling empty.

Of course she became bitter about it not becoming more. Levi quickly grew accustomed to ignoring her existence when she became desperate. Kenny saw the signs of a bad break up, and from then on Levi was trained to be a solo assassin. He was the first to be solo in so long, many of the other assassins felt Kenny was favoring his nephew.

It was no secret Levi was being trained by his uncle, and many felt that the boy wasn't as good as Kenny made him out to be.

Until one day, some of the assassins decided to take initiative. Levi was on his way home when he was ambushed. Despite the numbers, he managed to defend himself well enough. He only had a knife to defend himself with, and it was all he needed.

The adrenaline rush made him exhilarated. And the sight and scent of blood went to his head. When they all begged him to spare him, he coldly reminded them what happened when assassins turned on each other.

"The penalty to attack another assassin without a good reason, is death. And I shall deliver you filthy lot to Lady Death myself."

Levi allowed his demons out for the first time. And one by one he killed. Even those that dropped their weapons and ran, he hunted down with glee and killed them. He killed sixteen men and women that day.

And here he saw a pattern concerning his birthday. His first kills happened on his seventeenth birthday, the year before he was to graduate from apprentice to assassin. He killed sixteen assassins who got stupid in the head for thinking his uncle was letting him slip by the training.

Kenny found him standing over the last corpse. He tried shaking his nephew out of his shocked state, but the teenager was too lost in his own mind. In the end, Kenny carried his nephew back to the house and kept a careful watch over him.

Levi didn't snap back into reality when two new assassin recruits entered his home, seeking Kenny as their mentor.

"Excuse me, but do you know where Kenny the Ripper is?" A sweet voice broke through his dark thoughts.

Levi blinked, now out of a trance, and stared at the two strangers. One was a young girl with burgundy red hair in pigtails, a nice and petite figure. Her eyes were the best feature, a mix of green and teal blue. They were like precious jewels.

The other stranger was tall and lean. His blonde hair was like the sun, and blue eyes stared at him with wonder. Levi immediately felt attracted to the young man. Later, he wondered if it had been the blonde hair, or the eyes. When after he met Erwin, he decided it had been the eyes.

Levi might have preferred blonds, but he was weak to blue eyes that held the sky in them.

=3=

Death: This was a little more challenging to write, honestly. I didn't want to put this into parts, but as I was writing I realized that I couldn't fit everything that fucked Levi up in the head in one chappie.

And, I felt REALLY awkward to write about Levi's training. Just wanted to say that, because I don't condone rape or incest. But it played a big part in messing up Levi's head permanently.

Please leave a review


	13. The Blood Storm Part II

Death: And here is Part Two of why Levi is fucked up in the head. Enjoy the ups and downs of this chapter.

 **Warning** : This...this chapter is going to be a tear jerker. Like a lot of pain is going down here. And, forgive me for more incest shit, I'll explain at the end of the chapter.

 **Chapter Thirteen** The Blood Storm Part II

=3=

Levi stared at them, unable to take his eyes off of the beautiful pair. He secretly wondered if they were a couple, and for some reason his heart lurched at the thought. He fought off the insecurities that rose up in his head.

He _really_ felt attracted to the blonde young man standing before him.

"I don't know where Kenny is at the moment, but how did you guys get inside the house?" Levi inquired with narrowed eyes.

"The front door was unlocked. My name is Isabel! And this big guy is Farlan. What's your name, mister?" The girl was chipper, smiling as she introduced them.

"...Levi."

"So _you're_ the apprentice we've heard so much about. Everyone's been talking about you and slaughtering sixteen full trained assassins. They call you Levi the Blood Storm, now." Farlan spoke as if he was talking about the weather.

 _Guess they're not scared of me, then._

To Levi, this was good on his part. He wanted to get closer to the blond, and he tried his hardest not to get too excited.

Kenny walked in on them making small talk. He stopped short when he realized his nephew was actually back to reality, and not so platonic as he had been for the last few weeks. Pale blue grey eyes stared first at Levi, and then at the two new apprentices.

"You two got him to respond?"

"Yeah, we came inside looking for you when no one answered when we knocked. And we found him staring at nothing." Farlan explained.

"And we started talking to him! It took a few minutes, but he eventually came to." Isabel added.

Kenny couldn't really believe it. He wasn't sure if Levi was even aware of it when it happened, but his uncle stroked his nephew's cock until he came, and _still_ Levi was unresponsive.

"Know what, the runt's got one last year until he graduates. Why don't the two of you be trained by him?"

It was a little risky to bend the rules like this. But, he felt that these two must be special if they successfully brought his nephew back to reality. Especially when not even he could bring his nephew back after so many attempts.

"But...I'm not a full assassin yet. You said assassins don't train until they're twenty five." Levi didn't understand why Kenny was bending the rules so much for him.

"And you killed sixteen people, by yourself. And you already got your assassin name, no thanks to me."

 _That's unusual. He was the one that spread that name around?_

"...Why Blood Storm?"

"You were messy, like a storm. Blood was everywhere, including your entire body, and you didn't care. And also, don't you remember it all happened during a storm?" Kenny frowned, wondering if Levi had some form of memory problems now.

"No...I don't remember much of that day, really. Just the fact they attacked me for no good reason, so I killed them for their penalties."

"Then I order you to take it easy for a few days. And, are you still interested in training these two or not?"

Levi felt pressured, but he wanted to be around Farlan. And he was starting to like Isabel as a friend already.

"I'll train them, if they'll have me." He looked at them, now wearing his guarded mask.

"I wanna be trained by Levi!" Isabel raised her hand excitedly.

"Same, it sounds like fun. But won't that get him into more trouble?" Farlan frowned, as Levi had already been attacked.

"The others are too afraid to challenge him, now. And if they want to have a fuss, I'll take care of them myself." Kenny said as he made his way to the kitchen.

And this was how he had his first two apprentices.

 _A Few Years Later_

Levi graduated with flying colors. And, when he was twenty five, he passed his apprentices. He expected them to continue on without him, but, to his surprise, they stuck by him.

And so, they became the Golden Trio. Levi was the unofficial leader among them, as he hated being named leader. The idea made him uncomfortable, so no one said it out loud.

Isabel was just like him in fighting style. She was just a little taller than him, and she loved birds just as much as he did. She saw Levi's graceful movements of a bird, and copied them, then eventually changing them to fit her body and personality.

Being a girl, her body could do things he couldn't, and some of his moves she couldn't pull off. So she adapted his style and evolved it to better fit her. Many compared Levi to a crane, for he was elegant, strong, and fast. As for Isabel, she was the sparrow. Creative, fast, and ready for a challenge, even if it landed her in trouble a food part of the time.

Farlan was strong, and among the few to match Levi in speed, despite the height difference. If Isabel thought out of the box, he used tactics that were easy to replicate, but he made them so effective that he was deadly.

All in all, the three made a deadly team. And no one wanted to cross them in their wrath. If Levi was ruthless, the other two followed his example without hesitation. They were the best team around among the assassins.

One night, the three of them were drinking. They were celebrating their third anniversary as a group together, when his apprentices graduated and formed a team. Within a few hours, Isabel was passed out on the floor.

Levi was grateful they had a home of their own by now. Kenny would not appreciate a drunken Isabel asleep on the floor, leaving drool all over the polished wood.

The other two were flushed, still not ready to go to bed. They discussed about random facts to each other about themselves.

"I love blueberries." Farlan grinned, his cheeks bright red from the alcohol.

"Is that why anything blueberry goes missing so quick?" Levi raised an eyebrow, for once putting his mask to rest.

"Yes." The blonde confessed meekly. "What do you like, Levi?"

"I like the sky. It changes color so much, and yet so vast and far away. And yet, as I fly with the gear, I feel like I can reach up and touch it with my fingers."

"So poetic, like the bird you are." Farlan commented.

"It's why I am fond of blue eyes, especially if they hold the sky in them." Levi didn't understand why he was saying this part, it could be the alcohol messing with him.

They stared at each other for a tense moment. And then they were clashing, their lips mushed together as their hands roamed unexplored territory. Together in their drunken state, the pair moved to one of their bedrooms. As soon as they entered, clothes were thrown on the floor.

Levi enjoyed eyeing the handsome figure before him, silently envious the man didn't have so many scars. And yet Farlan was drawn to his scars, tracing over them with a finger, barely touching the skin, sending shivers through Levi's body.

That night was passionate and yet sweet. At the end of it all, Levi was spent and content. And yet he wasn't fully satisfied, which bothered him. He didn't understand why, and his mind was clouded from the drinking and the after glow of sex.

He awoke the next morning and Farlan changed his attitude. He felt guilty for taking advantage of someone while they were both drunk, and no assurances from Levi would change his view otherwise. And so, being the gentleman, Farlan was trying to put everything back to the way things were.

Only Levi wished not to move on. And, it a few nights contemplating, but he figured out why he wasn't fully satisfied that night of drunken stupor. He craved the act to be wilder, rough, and even pain mixed in with the pleasure.

It was after comparing the night with Farlan with his first time with Kenny did he realize what his body wanted.

After a few days of Farlan not changing his views, Levi had enough. He left the house, and started on wandering around aimlessly. He set out with no destination in mind, he allowed his feet to take him wherever. And much to his surprise, his feet brought him to his uncle's house.

Levi knocked on the door once, before walking in, surprised the front door was unlocked. He found Kenny sitting at the dining room table, drinking, and staring off into space.

"What are you drinking if you look like you're in a heavy debate about life like a great philosopher?" Levi half assed joked, half serious, as he poured himself a cup. It smelled strong and he knew the taste was vile.

Still knowing this, he took it down in one sitting, ignoring the glare from his uncle.

"Don't you have your own stash to drink from, you little shit?" Kenny hated when people drank his alcohol.

"I do, but it's not strong enough for me." Levi cleared his throat, and the stuff was already hitting him hard.

"What, not getting enough from pretty boy, Farlan?" His uncle remarked as a joke.

"Sort of. He and I had a drunken night and had sex. Then he thinks he took advantage of me and won't consider continuing despite what I say otherwise." Levi reached to refill his cup.

Kenny stopped him, his reflexes were still quick like a snake. For a tense moment their eyes locked, one glaring, the other silently daring the other to try something. Levi didn't understand why he was flirting with death, but he felt daring, and he wanted to test something.

"I'm not gonna sit here and watch you binge because you're not getting any. And you didn't pay for this shit."

"I don't plan to binge, I just feel like testing you."

Silence hung in the air as it thickened with tension that promised danger in a few minutes.

"Boy, you don't want to go there with me today." Kenny warned, eyes narrowing.

"And why not?" Levi dared, feeling his stomach heat up, and he didn't know if it was from the drink or something else.

"I'll show you so much pain that you're gonna wish you were dead." The elder growled deep from his chest.

"Good. Make feel pain, make me scream, I find I rather enjoy it. Want to know a little secret? I wasn't _satisfied_ by the first time I did it with Farlan. Want to know why?" Levi leaned a little closer, his eyes never breaking eye contact with the dangerous man in front of him.

"I would rather not know, runt." Kenny had his mask on now.

"I'm going to tell you anyway. It wasn't anything compared to what you had me experience at fourteen. I will admit, Farlan was good, but he wasn't as dominate compared to you." Levi allowed his voice drop to a low purr, deep and sensual, and he enjoyed the response from Kenny.

The mirrored pair of eyes across from him flashed with what he recognized to be lust.

"He didn't make me feel delicious pain mixed in with pleasure. He didn't make me scream, beg for more. It was satisfying, but a part of me felt that I needed more than just pleasure by itself."

Their eyes were in a heated battle against each other. One dared for the other to stop his resistance, while the other struggled against his resolve. Kenny felt his mask slipping through his fingers as he remembered that day, nearly eleven years prior. The pair knew this was toxic for them, but at the same time they felt the curiosity burn through their very minds, and it had only taken them until now to come to terms about their dark desires.

Levi reached for the bottle with his free hand, eyes never trailing away from Kenny. Suddenly, he was tackled and pinned against the hardwood floor. Levi stilled when he felt a cold knife against his throat. His breath hitched and his pulse quickened.

"Are you sure you want this? I can show you a whole new world of pain. You can't handle it, it's your own fault for pushing me to do this, you little shit." Kenny warned.

"Do you see me stopping you?" Levi stared at the mirrored eyes challengingly.

The pair delved into sinful pain and pleasure. They were so engrossed on the act, neither noticed that someone was watching from the window outside, eyes hungry for the smaller, lithe body the owner had been admiring from afar for so long.

 _A Week Later_

Levi was on his way home after having spent a week away. His inner demons were purring, finally satiated, from the experiment with Kenny. The pair basically put aside the uncle and nephew relationship and went all out. They weren't searching for a romantic relationship between them, but rather to satiate each other's demons to get the toxic temptation out of their systems.

He found that he enjoyed letting go once in a while, as long as he was within a controlled environment where someone could stop him from doing anything he would later regret. Levi found it refreshing, but he preferred not to let them take over only to have sex with his uncle. That in itself was awkward and their relationship as uncle and nephew was already strained as it were.

He was so delighted to have silence in his head that he hadn't noticed he was being followed. Until the moment came the silent shadow snatched him, and he was hit in the head, instantly knocked him out.

Levi awoke in a strange room. He was tied, but this wasn't rope or leather as he was accustomed to, but rather chains. This sent chills up and down his body. Kenny never used chains, the man hated the sight of them and would rather melt them for scrap metal than actually touch it.

He looked around to get a better view of his surroundings. His heart sank when he caught sight of one of the assassins he knew by face alone, but couldn't remember a name. Levi found the training Kenny put him through settling in, and he drew back inside his mind while his demons took over, ready to pounce on the person who dared to do such a vile act without permission.

He never showed any emotion, never screamed, even as he was cut over his chest, arms, and legs. Not even a whimper came out when his kidnapper used a thin whip over his cuts, making them sting and cut even deeper into his flesh.

He didn't scream until he was penetrated.

Levi lost track of time, not really paying attention to what was being done to him. He came to when familiar voices brought him back to reality. He smiled weakly at the sight of Kenny, Farlan, and Isabel running up on him. Isabel stopped short, hands to her face as she started crying at the sight of him. Farlan looked away out of guilt.

Kenny took one look at him and without hesitation turned on the assassin who was his friend and shot him in the head. Levi released a sigh of relief, and then fainted from exhaustion both mentally and physically.

The last thing he remembered were strong arms holding him close to a warm chest, and a strong heartbeat.

Levi became aware of his surroundings when Farlan, when out of desperation to get him to snap out of it, grabbed his short mentor and kissed him. He didn't know how long he had been unresponsive, and he didn't even know Kenny had taken upon himself to bring his nephew back to his house, putting whatever jobs he had on hold.

Farlan had been visiting as often as he could, and eventually Kenny allowed him and Isabel to stay. He figured it might actually take all three to bring Levi out of his shell. And with two people to watch over him, Kenny started doing small jobs that never took him out for very long.

Isabel was asleep, and Farlan was losing his mind. He finally snapped and just pulled Levi in for a kiss. At first, it was gentle and soft. He pulled back, crestfallen when even that wasn't enough.

"He likes it rough, pretty boy. Step up your game, if you want him." Kenny suggested, startling the blonde. He didn't hear the old man enter the house when they weren't very far from the front door.

"Wait...how would you know?" Farlan stared at the older assassin suspiciously.

"You didn't have the kind of training he went through, then." Kenny grunted at the new information. "He's too soft on you guys. Anyway, take my advice or leave it."

Farlan watched the old man head up the stairs to his bedroom. He got the feeling he was missing something, and he felt disturbed about what Kenny had hinted on the comparison between his training and his mentor's.

So, taking the advice, he pulled Levi in for another kiss. This time he was rough, nipping at the lower lip, and tried to force his tongue inside the small mouth. Slowly, very slowly, Levi started to come around.

Things escalated from there. Levi had thought this was a dream, and went along with it. Farlan was ecstatic he pulled his mentor out of his own mind, bringing Levi back to the real world. And unlike their first time, Farlan was rough, and found he enjoyed it.

The next morning Levi awoke to a tangled mess of limbs. It took him a few moments to realize last night had not been a dream. What transpired was real, and his heart did backflips. He was so excited he reached over to Farlan and kissed him all over. The blonde woke up and smiled at the heavenly affections he was receiving.

Their relationship was strong, and lasted a good few years. Everyone who saw them supported them, except for Liucretsia, but she dared to never make a move. She learned the hard way when Isabel managed to tangle the taller girl up in a tree, and then proceeded to throw a dagger at her. She intentionally missed Liucretsia's neck by a few centimeters.

It was probably around that time Liucretsia started to have an obsession of cutting up necks.

Levi didn't think much of it, not even when rumors went around Military Police were coming up dead, their necks slashed. He was too engrossed with his relationship with Farlan to pay anything else attention, the only other person who got any attention from him were Isabel and Kenny.

And then came the day a distraught Military Police saught revenge for his friends. He happened to see Isabel nearby when he found some of his comrades dead bodies. He saw the blood on her, from a different mission to take out a teacher, and in his mind he saw her as the culprit.

Levi heard the screams from inside the house. In an instant he, Farlan, and Kenny ran outside. The three grabbed their weapons without hesitation and bolted out the door. They came upon a terrifying sight.

The MP had tried to slice her throat, catching her by surprise. But he didn't cut deep enough to where she died instantly. She fell to her knees, horror on her face, as she choked and gasped on her own blood. Levi ran forward, catching her in his arms.

"Isabel!" He yelled, reaching a hand to press on her wound to slow the bleeding down.

The MP ran, but didn't get very far when Kenny shot at his legs, and so the man couldn't run. Farlan knelt down beside Levi, holding Isabel's hand tightly. They could do nothing as she slowly passed, dying in her mentor's arms.

Levi saw red.

He handed her dead body to Farlan, and then ran at the MP, who had tried crawling away for his escape. Levi slashed like a madman, his eyes wild, and once again his inner demons took total control. He didn't stop even when the man was already dead.

Farlan watched in horror, never before seeing his lover like this. Kenny stood next to the blonde, sighing.

"If you can't stand seeing this side of him, you don't deserve him."

Farlan finally broke his gaze away from the gruesome sight, staring wide eyed at the older man. He couldn't find his voice, his throat dry, and a part of his mind was going into shock.

"In this line of work, everyone has a side to them that they don't want anyone else to see. If you can't love him because you're afraid of this side of him, then he doesn't need you by his side. He doesn't need some prince charming to give him the illusion that everything is all right."

The same pale blue grey eyes stared down at Farlan, the same eyes Levi had, only these were much more terrifying.

"Can you still love him after all that you have witnessed with him?"

It felt like a challenge. And it was a challenge Farlan felt he couldn't rise up to.

After they had mourned, Farlan walked out of the Ackerman house and never looked back. He didn't even leave a note for Levi, who was left alone with his demons once more. And like clockwork, he retreated back inside the cage of his mind, and became a mindless doll.

Kenny resorted to a few rough rounds, after he had waited some time for Levi to come out on his own. When he didn't, he reluctantly used the method Farlan had used before, only there were less kisses and more bites.

Levi was snapped back into reality. However, he wasn't the same. His face wore a blank mask, and even Kenny was disturbed by the sight. He attempted to bring his nephew more out of his shell, but he was met with failure. No amount of fucking, threatening, or even having the young man endure so much physical pain would bring back his nephew to the way he was before.

Levi the Blood Storm was then known to be a broken doll. The only sign of his former self were in his eyes, when they flashed a hint of emotion before being replaced by a blank stare.

For five years, he was feared by officials and assassins alike. No one said Levi the Blood Storm without fear laced in their voices, whispered softly if he happened to stroll by, catching them unawares. He became focused on his job description as an assassin than to bother with anything else.

The only one he bothered to keep close was his uncle. But even then he didn't show any other side to the man than what everyone else saw of him. However, if he needed to satisfy needs that his inner demons hungered for deep inside of him, he only turned to Kenny for that department. It didn't happen often, as he understood his uncle was uncomfortable with throwing away the status of family just to enjoy sweet temptation.

It was perhaps the only time a portion of his old self came through in the throes of toxic passion.

For the first time in his life, Kenny felt guilt gnawing at his mind. And eventually he gave up trying to force some form of emotion show through the mask. He stopped reaching for the delectable body and fucking the shit out of him.

Levi never felt whole again, until the night he caught sight of blonde hair done in a professional cut, and deep blue eyes that held the sky in them, even as they met during a storm in the beginning of summer.

Erwin Smith changed his world upside down, just by his blue eyes alone.

=3=

Death: OKAY THEN. Please don't hate me, and allow me to explain something.

So, yes, there was a lot more instances between Levi and Kenny. The thing about sexual abuse, it can sometimes warp the mind. And when Levi wasn't educated about sex, what was happening to his body at the ripening age of fourteen, and not to mention he had no idea where babies came from, his mind started to crave that sort of thing.

And, he tried really hard to find a replacement. He knew that sort of thing between uncle and nephew was anything but normal. But, when he had hardcore feelings for Farlan, he was disappointed in the fact he didn't get what he craved.

And let me also remind, Levi made the first move. Kenny, despite being an asshat and shit, didn't want to indulge in his own needs because not only was Levi his nephew, he practically raised him. Which is a first for Kenny, when you notice his other apprentices were never been to his house.

As for Farlan and Isabel, they haven't seen much of their mentor, and decided to take matters into their own hands and show up at Kenny's doorstep.

So, then, please leave a review. No hate, please.


	14. The Blood Storm Part III

Death: I know, some of you are wondering, "What!? There's a part _THREE_!? What are you doing, Death?" Well, this is the second showdown between Levi's squad and the assassins.

But damn I am on a roll! My brain has planned out the next few chapters already, so once again this updating is going to be fast paced!

Enjoy!

 **Chapter Fourteen** The Blood Storm Part III

=3=

Levi woke early the next morning. His eyes opened just at the crack of dawn. He slowly blinked as the remnants of his dreams were pushed to the back of his mind. It had been years since he dreamed of his mother, and the dangerous games he and Kenny liked to play out of sheer boredom.

He wondered what his mother would have thought if she saw how he grew up to be some sick, sick masochist individual. She would have been appalled, he would guess, as she had tried so hard to ensure he lived.

 _I don't understand why. I am a bastard child myself, but I do not know my father._

It was something he had in common with Krysta, no, Historia. He envied her knowing who her parents were, at least. A part of him, no matter how many times he tried to bury his curiosity, he always wondered who his father was.

Levi sat up, and the words Kenny had said to him rang in his head. He looked over to see he had been on the outside of a three person cuddle. Armin had snuggled up against him, and Mikasa was on the other side of him.

Levi wasn't sure how exactly this came about, but he did not question it. He had experienced weirder in his life time.

 _So I have to return to my behavior as the Blood Storm, huh?_

His blue grey eyes stared down at Armin and Mikasa. The pair were sound asleep, their faces pale, and dark circles under their eyes.

For the first time, he allowed his mind to think about Isabel. He thought about her wide grin, and bright eyes. Levi then realized why he was so drawn to Eren so easily.

 _He has the same eyes as her. Hers were a little more blue, while his are green, but they're still the **same**._

He decided then, that he would slip back into the assassin he was before Erwin turned his world around. Levi wasn't at fault for Isabel's death, but if he had seen the signs, he would have done something to prevent it from happening. He felt that saving Eren was his redemption.

And so, he walked out of the storage building and watched the sky as the sun rose. Levi cleared his mind, as his inner demons were released. However, he was restraining them, as he wasn't going to allow them to kill any members of his squad. And he didn't want to risk them falling for Kenny's promises of painful and pleasurable rapture.

Levi opened his eyes to stare at whoever was keeping watch with a blank stare.

Jean stopped, his tired mind sensing something was off. The air around the captain shifted, and he was no longer the captain the Survey Corp got to know. Jean saw for the first time the assasin show through for the first time. He felt chills down his spine when trapped under the cold steel gaze.

"Captain...?"

"Gather everyone up. We need to get ready for the day. And, warn everyone that we cannot have any screw ups the next time we cross paths with the assassins. If someone isn't going to be up to par, then I'm leaving them with the merchant's son. I cannot focus on keeping everyone alive when facing Kenny." Levi held his mask, his voice cold and distant.

Jean blinked, but nodded. He turned and went inside to pass on the new instructions. When the others were awake, they were surprised to see Horse Face _shaking_. When pressed, all he said was relay the information Levi gave him.

Confused and curious, the rest of the squad went outside to their captain. Everyone noticed the changes in him, and suddenly they were almost afraid of him, for never had he shown them his darker colors.

"Where was the merchant's son going to meet us at?" Levi turned to Mikasa, and even she felt her knees tremble under his cold eyes.

"Not too far from here. We don't have much food, but we have enough for breakfast. Are we eating before we leave, or on the road?"

"On the road. We can't waste anymore precious time. Historia and Eren are counting on us."

A few hours later the squad reached the abandoned fortress, or what was left of it. The walls were crumbled by time and war, and according to Jean, the place was in worse shape than the abandoned fortress where Ylmir transformed and fought off the titans that were likely the villagers unable to transform back.

The Special Forces Squad was surrounded as soon as they entered the courtyard. Levi was surprised to see the merchant's son had gathered people along for his cause. The squad looked up to see the merchant's son perched on a ledge, on the last wall that was still standing strong.

"So, you want my help?" The pudgy man had a good poker face.

"We need your help to prove that we are innocent in the charges the government has against us." Levi responded, his own mask intensified the air around them.

"See these people? They are what's left of my home village. We were one of the biggest between the walls, and our numbers suffered the most casualties. I already know the government is corrupted, after I had seen some secret fraction I had never seen killed my father and then pinned it on you lot. Prove to them that you're innocent about the other charges, and I just might lend a hand."

Levi stared hard at the man who thought he was smart to pull the strings. He chose not to say a word, for he knew they wouldn't want to listen to any word he said. His demeanor frightened them.

"We all have a dream, to take back Wall Maria, and regain the lost territory. I can't say for everyone, but I know that we strive to drive back the titans and expand. Why would we turn around and create titans and release them on the very people we're fighting for?" Jean spoke up, standing up from the carriage driver seat.

Levi didn't show it, but pride swelled in his chest. He knew either Horse Face or Armin would speak up on the matter. His squad figured how to read their captain, and knew when he wouldn't be of much help on certain matters. His cold eyes focused only on the pudgy man up high, never straying.

"Then who do we put the blame on? We have no homes, no shelter, and too many of us are starving again!" A woman with a babe bundled up in her arms spoke up.

"The govenment! Think about it, they've sent thousands to their deaths when we lost Wall Maria to decrease the number of mouths to feed!" Armin climbed up on the carriage to stand next to Jean.

"And how are we supposed to go against the high and mighty? We are powerless against them." A man scowled.

"Simple! We outnumber the officials, by far! Together, with all of you working with the Survey Corp, our voices will be heard! And we make the demands for fair treatment, and fair courts! If we didn't kill this man's father as the press is stating, then already their defense is weak." Jean raised a fist to the air.

More people were becoming riled up. And slowly, the villagers were accepting of them. Levi spoke when there was silece once more, so his voice would be heard.

"So, what say you? Will you help us or not? We need information on a family estate, where most likely two of our own are being held hostage."

The pudgy young man leaped off the ledge, and despite his weight, he landed just fine. He stood up, grinning down at the short captain. His eyes held recognition in them.

"Good to see you as a friend, instead of foe. Although we never officially met, my father made deals to your lot for several years. He talked about you a lot, and he was looking forward to meeting you."

Levi showed no emotion, his mask well orchestrated to withstand anything that came his way. His blank expression was unnerving the merchant, to say the least. And he silently relished at how the young man lost a little bit of his courage.

"I will carry on my father's good name. Since you have moved these people, I will help you. I have dirt on the officials anyway, which will greatly help your cause. Oh, and last night, I had received word that the Survey Corp was disbanded. But, a group reached out to me, and I gave them shelter."

He turned to one of the ladies, and instructed her to bring the group forward. Levi and his squad perked up, eager, as familiar faces came forward. The majority became excited to see Hange and their squad.

"Hange!" Armin ran up to the scientist.

They grinned and accepted the hug, returning it with glee. Hange caught sight of Levi, and relief swept over their face. Then they noticed how guarded the short captain was, and the perfect mask of an emotionless doll. Hange came closer to stand before Levi, trying to read those guarded eyes.

"I see you're all right, physically. Did my tests scare you to the core or something?"

"In a way. But that's not why I'm like this. As you can see, two of us are missing. Kenny and his lot kidnapped them. I believe they're at the Reiss family estate."

"Why kidnap Krysta? And why at the Reiss estate? You do know that's one of the richest families, right?"

Levi explained everything that happened. He told Hange of Erwin's ultimate plans, and that Krysta was the bastard child they were looking for, and that the assassins were indeed disguised as an Anti-Personnel Control Squad. Levi didn't relay what Kenny had told him he had to revert back to his mind state as an assassin, though.

When he was done, Hange thought over the information carefully. They turned to the merchant with a smile.

"Would you mind telling us where the Reiss estate is? In the meantime, can you rile up more people and serve as a distraction? I wish not to have Military Police show up in the middle of us rescuing our friends."

"Of course! I'll give you a map and circle the estate. And riling up more people shouldn't be too hard, I'll make sure we start inside the inner city. I want to give them a hard time, anyway." The merchant seemed more chipper with Hange than Levi.

A few hours later, the now larger number of the remnants of the Survey Corp planned over how to rescue Eren and Krysta. As Squad Leader Commander, Hange was looked up to as their leader, now. Once again Captain Levi was a silent shadow, only observing.

When they were under way, Hange turned to the short captain.

"What happened? You're not yourself."

"When I faced my old comrades, my speed and power wasn't up to par against them. As a result, I ended up injured. And I failed to rescue Krysta. Due to my failure, the rest of my squad didn't do much better." He summarized, keeping his eyes trained ahead.

"There's more to it, I can sense it. You're not the only one good at reading people, Levi." Hange pressed.

"And I am not going to satisfy your curiosity, shitty glasses."

Those around them stared, sensing the dark aura emitted from the captain. This was not his usual behavior, and one look at his squad was enough to confirm that the assassin part of him was being shown for the first time. Everyone had witnessed snippets and pieces, but never to this extent.

Hange roughly pulled their horse to a stop, stopping the line. Levi didn't make his mare stop until they were a few paces ahead. He peered over his shoulder to blankly stare at Hange, waiting for them to speak.

"What exactly happened that turned you into this? This isn't the Corporal Levi I know."

"As I stated before, I am not satisfying your curiosity." He responded coldly.

"Was it because of the test results? Because if so, I'm sorry for passing those papers to you."

"No, it's not because of the blood work you did on me."

"Okay, then this is an order. Tell me what happened, Captain Levi." Hange switched to a different tactic.

"You may be a higher rank than me, but you're not Erwin. I'm not giving you the answer you seek. It will only serve to have you lot pity me, and I don't need it." Levi stood his ground.

"Don't make me pull you out of this rescue mission, _corporal_."

"Threaten me again and pulling rank over me, and I'll simply leave and work on my own."

"You can't do that, it's called abandoned post. And the consequences are severe, Captain Levi."

"Need I remind you Commander Erwin cut my ties to the Survey Corp? You were there when he said it, the day those bastards arrested him. And let us not forget my papers were forged, and I have a good way of hiding from anyone who wants to find me. You lot would be out of the kettle and into the fire if they found out I'm just an assassin bargained to be used by the Survey Corp so I can be free."

For once, Hange didn't have any words to respond. No one really knew the deal Erwin made with Levi, and now it was all in the open. The air was thick with tension, as the few brave Scouts stared between Hange and Levi.

"...Why are you doing this? And why now of all times? Or has your mind finally snapped and you're on the brink of insanity?" Hange worded their concerns carefully.

"There is no other way to defeat Kenny. I don't care for the other assassins, but Kenny is mine." For the first time there was emotion in his eyes.

Hange frowned, recognizing a deep pain brought on from years of abuse, and there was also hated, but there was a hint of _need_. It wasn't quite lust, but the sexual need was there and out of all of the emotions Hange saw, that one disturbed them the most.

And then it all clicked in Hange's head.

"Captain Levi, I think I understand why you need to kill Kenny. However, I have one condition. And I need you to respect it, even though I'm not Erwin, I am currently the only leader here applicable for the Survey Corp." Hange urged their horse forward to stand next to Stella.

"I can't keep promises, but I can try." Levi stared at them blankly, the mask slipped on once more.

"I remember Erwin telling me of a promise he made to you. He promised that if you were too out of hand, then he will kill you. I would like to continue that promise, but I understand you asked Erwin yourself. So, instead, I would like you to name someone here to keep that promise."

"I get to choose?" Levi blinked, wondering if Hange was playing a trick.

"Yes, you get to choose who will carry on Erwin's promise. Choose wisely."

"Then I choose Mikasa." Levi didn't even hesitate as his cold eyes found hers.

"Mikasa. Are you willing to keep Erwin's promise?" Hange inquired cautiously.

"Yes. If he gets too out of hand and harms any of us, then I will kill Captain Levi."

=3=

The infiltration went smoothly, until they had found the underground caverns. It was here the assassins waited in ambush. Levi quickly scanned the opponents, and found Kenny wasn't among them. He wasn't too disappointed when he heard a familiar high pitched laugh echo in the underground chambers.

Levi wasted no time in claiming Liucretsia as his opponent.

"Look at you! There's the Blood Storm I know and love! How's the love mark I gave you? Does it still bleed? Are you ready to see which of us is the best?" She grinned when she saw his eyes wild and his demeanor was the same as he was in his assassin days.

"Let's dance, darling." Levi flashed a smirk, his voice deepened to a low baritone.

"Oh you give me the shivers, handsome!" Liucretsia giggled.

Mikasa watched the pair, feeling a little awkward at the interaction between them. She wasn't the only one, as Armin had a disgusted look on his face, and Jean wanted to vomit. The three of them didn't have time to comment when assassins charged at them.

The large group was having trouble, but they continued to make progress. The caverns only seemed to go in a straight line, so they didn't need to worry about getting lost. However, as they continued it was becoming increasingly difficult to kill off the assassins. The only pair that seemed to be enjoying themselves were Levi and Liucretsia, with their awkward remarks that sounded oddly like a couple on a romantic date, but the setting was off.

"I haven't seen you like this since the day you over killed that poor MP for slicing that bitch's throat! What was her name, again, handsome? Oh, that's right! Isabel!" Liucretsia laughed, her breathing labored, as she showed signs of tiring.

"Darling, if you're going to bring up the past, then at least choose a different subject." Levi swung his blades at her.

She dodged, laugh as she rolled in the air, just seconds faster than his weapons.

"Or else what? What are you going to do about it, huh handsome?"

"Can the two of you stop with the nicknames! It's creeping me out!" Jean yelled, but they ignored him.

"Or else I'll say from experience, you may be pleasing to the eye, but darling, a corpse could do better than you in bed."

Surprised shouts from both assassins and Survey Corp echoed in the cavern. Some were disgusted at the mental image, while others cheered Levi on. Mikasa noted how none of the assassins supported Liucretsia's defense.

"Oh yeah! At least I don't fuck my uncle!" Liucretsia yelled, her face red with a mix of anger and embarrassment.

"He did what!?"

"Did I hear her right...?"

"Is that why captain is a little fucked in the head?"

"That's...I don't know what to categorize that kind of fucked up!"

"Darling, you did not just go there." Levi glared, a dangerous glint in his cold eyes, while he ignored the discomfort of his comrades.

"Oh yes, I did handsome!"

And as she was pushing his demons out, he was pushing hers. It was a dangerous game of roulette that would end with death. And quite possibly both of their deaths. Mikasa remained close by the captain, never joining him in his fight against Liucretsia, but never far away to lend him a hand if he really needed it.

It was also means for her to quickly react if she needed to uphold her promise.

"Hey guys! We should start using the pillars on them!" Armin suggested, when he watched Sasha cut one in half and it squished two assassins.

At this point, Mikasa was having a hard time keeping an eye on Levi and her own pursuer. She took her friend's advice and made quick work of her opponent. She glanced over to see Levi, and was mesmerized by the sight.

Levi had his body bent in half, his torso bending back almost in a straight line as his gear pulled him with a burst of speed, and a blade came centimeters apart from his throat. Even though Liucretsia was crazy, and not all right in the head, she herself seemed beautiful as she tried to get at the captain's neck.

"Oh handsome, come here so I can slice that pretty neck of yours! Then I can have your head as a trophy!"

"Darling, I don't plan to die by your hands. They're too filthy for the likes of little old me."

Levi did a back flip as he was out of reach of her body. He caught sight of his cousin, and they silently agreed to take Liucretsia out together. No words needed to be exchanged, as Mikasa could see the strain on his demeanor.

She caught up to him, and together, side by side, matching speeds, they worked together. To anyone watching them would later say the pair synched like parts of a 3D Maneuver Gear, and just as deadly as their blades.

Jean couldn't help but feel envy at how perfect those two were together in battle. He knew Levi was in a relationship with Erwin, but the fact he and Mikasa so easily clicked, it was nerve wracking. They didn't even need to say a word as they carried out the same plan thought up in their heads.

"What's this? Another Ackerman? But...how can that be? There can only be one Blood Storm!" Liucretsia was now in a panic.

"No, you're wrong, darling. There is only one Blood Storm. But she is a storm of her own. One that's a lot more passionate if she's protecting her brother. She's worse when said brother is _kidnapped_." Levi hissed, enjoying to finally get under his enemy's skin.

Liucretsia paled. She then tried to shoot at him, but she ran out of bullets. Her blades were dull, and she rid of them. Liucretsia tried to replace them with fresh blades when suddenly she was attacked from either side from the Ackermans. Liucretsia tried to dodge, but when she looked ahead she was closing in on a rock hanging from the ceiling.

She quickly rolled underneath the rock, but as she did so, twin blades caught her by surprise. One cut her neck clean through, the other blade cut through her chest in one swift move. As the body fell, both Ackermans continued on with their matched speeds, their faces were dark.

"That...was...fucking AWESOME!" Jean bellowed, pumping an arm up in the air.

"Gotta admit, they know how to put on a good show!" Connie added.

"Teamwork at its finest!" Sasha laughed.

"We're not out of the woods, yet!" Hange reminded them, having a bad feeling rise in their guts.

Just as Hange predicted, more assassins joined the fray. They tried to surround the Survey Corp, but Levi and his squad had escaped before the others were trapped in a circle of assassins.

"Hange!" Levi yelled, about ready to turn back.

"Captain Levi! Keep your squad going! We'll deal with these guys! May the Wings of Freedom carry you to victory!" Hange gave the orders with a confident smile.

With that, Levi kept going with a burst of speed. His squad followed close behind, now becoming nervous. They didn't have much gas left, and they didn't know how long this tunnel was. Just as they lost hope, they reached a clearing.

The natural bright light from the smooth rocks blinded them for a moment. They caught a brief sight of Krysta fighting off a fat man, and at the end of the huge cave was Eren, chained up. A hoarse laugh echoed above their heads, and just in time their eyes adjusted to look up and see Kenny diving towards them.

"Let's settle this the old fashioned way, runt!"

The squad scattered, all except for their captain. Instead of fleeing, he charged up to meet his uncle halfway.

"Like I'm leaving you any room for your tricks, old man."

The pair collided, mentor and apprentice met with all of their strength. Of course, gravity played a role on who got the upper hand. They were free falling to the floor below, as Levi attempted to use his gear to slip away and out of Kenny's reach. However he found that difficult when he had to prevent his uncle from cutting away the straps that held his extra blades.

"C'mon, I want you at your best, Levi! These only serve to slow you down!"

Levi grit his teeth as he took a split second and aimed with one of the lines. With the trigger pressed he had a burst of speed and twirled away from his uncle. Unfortunately, one of the straps of the metal carriers on his legs was cut by Kenny's knife just before he escaped.

The weight was suddenly offsided and awkward. Levi was forced to land and quickly undid the straps. Both carriers fell to the ground, their scraping and thuds echoed in the cave. He didn't leave behind current blades, as they weren't dull yet, and he had no time to reach for the blades that fell out of one of the carriers when he twirled.

Levi launched into the air for another attack. They met again and again, their power and speed evenly matched. Eren watched in admiration as they danced, perfectly executing their tricks and predicting each other's moves after so many years of training and experience.

But the Titan shifter noticed something was off with the captain. He wasn't himself. His expression was devoid of emotion, and not even his eyes gave away anything he was thinking or feeling. This scared Eren, and he had a sinking feeling that Kenny was responsible.

The fight between Levi and Kenny didn't last too long, when Krysta's father injected himself with the Titan serum.

He grew into an enormous size, bigger than even the Colossal. At the moment it was just curled up in a ball, giving off immense heat that burned the air around them. And it even broke through the ceiling of the cave, and suddenly the cave was collapsing around them.

Kenny had taken advantage of his nephew's distraction and tackled him. Levi didn't have time to react when they landed on the ledge close to Eren and the squad. The captain had lost his grip on his blades, and when they landed they were out of his reach. Kenny raised his favorite knife to plunge into his nephew's chest.

Levi, thinking quickly, resorted to the same move he pulled on Farlan. With one arm he reached up to wrap around broad shoulders and pulled. Kenny was now on top of his shorter nephew, and Levi rested his chin on his uncle's shoulder. He briefly turned his head to whisper in Kenny's ear.

The captain released his hold, and pushed Kenny off of him, and blood sprayed everywhere. The Special Forces Squad gasped at the sight. In Levi's other hand was none other than Talon, and the curved knife had pierced Kenny's side.

The older man struggled to stay on his feet. And, without looking back he launched into the air, somehow dodging the falling rocks. Levi sat up, unfazed about what was happening around them. He wiped his knife and went over to his squad, huddling close together as they freaked over what to do.

"We're all going to die!" Jean screamed, losing his faith rather quickly.

"We have to think of something...!" Sasha was trying to keep a calm head on her shoulders, but the panic was starting to take control.

"There's too many rocks!" Connie yelled, pointing out the obvious.

"I'm sorry you guys. Because of me this happened..." Krysta started crying.

"All of you, stop. Calm your shit, and think. Armin, do you have any ideas?" Levi stared at the short blonde who was trying not to cry.

"Why...why are you asking me?"

"You're the one that akways comes up with a solution, am I right? If you don't, all of us will die. And our efforts would be wasted to rescue these two." Levi motioned to Eren and Krysta.

Upon looking at Eren, an idea clicked in Armin's head.

"...Eren...can you hold the ceiling up in your Titan form?"

"I could if it was just one rock...but not a whole ceiling!" Eren knew his boundaries.

Armin glanced over to his right, and saw a bag. He went through it, and found what he was looking for. He pulled out a syringe and went over to his childhood friend. Eren flinched at the sight of it.

"What are you doing!?"

"This is the Crystal Armor serum! This should help!" Armin rolled up his friend's sleeve. However, his hands were shaking.

Levi knelt down and took the syringe from the shaking blonde. With the calmness that surprised everyone, he expertly found a vein and without warning plunged the needle in. Eren hissed, and tried to jerk away, but Jean and Mikasa held him still. Levi didn't pull it out until all of the liquid had entered Eren's body.

"Now, turn." Levi ordered, his voice calm, and his face expressionless.

With a nervous gulp, Eren nodded. He leaped off the edge, and bit his thumb. He transformed with a roar, and suddenly it was interrupted as his entire body covered itself with crystal. And the armor didn't stop there, as the crystal expanded to either side of him to the walls of the cave, then traveled upwards to hold the ceiling.

The cave had an opening, but it was no longer collapsing within itself. When the dust settled, the Special Forces Squad crawled out of the opening one by one. Levi remained standing while the others collapsed, either sitting or laying down, exhausted from the events of the last several days.

Levi looked over to see Hange and their squad heading towards them. They seemed a little battered, but otherwise unscathed. Hange was limping, but nothing seemed broken.

Hange stopped short when something caught their gaze. He followed Hange's line of sight and saw a small group of Military Police approaching. In the forefront, was none other than Commander Erwin Smith.

"Guys, get up. They're returning our commander." Levi instructed his squad, and reluctantly they all stood up.

Together, the two squads met their commander halfway. Levi felt his heart race upon seeing the one face he needed to see. However, he found he despised the thick beard on the perfectly sculptured face.

Before anything was said, Levi suddenly felt alarmed. His body tensed, and he had the sense they were all in danger. His eyes scanned the trees, and he caught a familiar glint in the bushes. What made his heart stop was that the aim of projectory wasn't at him, but Erwin.

In an instant Levi bolted towards the trees. The action surprised everyone, and suddenly the aim was toward the short captain. As he drew near the treeline, he could make out the trademark hat.

A shot rang in the air.

Levi jumped out of the way, and then used his gear while he was in the air. Kenny bolted out of the bushes and headed further into the small forest. Without hesitation Levi followed after the retreating figure, with full intention of following up on his promise he whispered into his uncle's ear several minutes before.

 _I am the only one to kill you. Wouldn't that be poetic? After all the pain you caused me, whether or not I was willing, I am the one who shall deliver you to Lady Death as your successor._

 _And I will show you no mercy. Just like how you showed me none._

=3=

Death: And cut! Yes, I am adding my own twist to Kenny's death. I felt that, in the manga, his death was so anticlimactic it was sad for me. All of that shit went down, and that's how he died? I was kinda disappointed.

And don't worry, this is the last part to the title Blood Storm.

So, please tell me what you think and leave a review.


	15. Beyond The Storm

Death: And let things get even more interesting. The inspiration for the title was mostly due to me listening to _Beyond the Veil_ by Lindsey Stirling. Wonderful piece, and I thought I would tribute this chapter to that song. It also suits Levi a lot, I like to think.

Oh, and expect me to update a lot until the 28th. Until either the 30th or the 1st I won't be able to access internet and update this. So I'm rushing to get these ideas out there so I can actually sleep. Otherwise I will be haunted during the days I have no internet and drives me crazy.

 **Chapter Fifteen** Beyond The Storm

=3=

Levi could feel his gear was close to running out of precious gas. He grit his teeth, and continued after Kenny. If he was low on gas, then his uncle most certainly was worse off than him.

Or so he hoped.

He then noticed Kenny was slowing. Not sure if it was a trick or not, Levi slowed down as well. At some point, they came across a clearing. Kenny stopped at the edge of the trees, leaning against a tree as he held a hand over his wound.

Levi landed a few feet away, relieved that he didn't run out of gas. He stared at his uncle, noting the sickly paleness on the wrinkled face. It was the first time he saw how much he had aged over the years, from the time Levi was ten when he could see.

"So...are you going to kill me or what?" Kenny rasped, his pale blue grey eyes challenged Levi's own mirrored pair.

"First, I have a few questions. If you have the time for them, anyway." To prove his point, he rid the blades from his gear, before kicking them away and out of their reach.

"Can an old man sit down then? My vision is getting blurry." Without waiting for an answer, Kenny sat down anyway, his back being supported by the tree.

Levi knelt down, not really caring if the man was standing or not. He was, however, keeping a safe distance away from the man's reach.

"What made you search my mother out? For eight years, you didn't reach out to her. And then you show up, out of the blue." Levi stared at his uncle.

"My old man, not my bastard father, but my grandfather died. On his death bed, I was the only one who came to see him. Well, he had a way of guilt tripping me about not talking to family. And, I guess because it was his dying wish for the family to remain strong, I sought Kutchel out."

"That's your whole reason?" Levi didn't sense any lies, but he didn't think it was something like that.

"Didn't think she would up and die on me. I always expected her to be the one that lived longer, between the two of us. She was intelligent, and had a good head on her shoulders. And she ended up like _that_. And she left you, all alone, with no way to survive. Pathetic if you ask me."

"You said she was disowned. She was disowned because she was having an illegitimate child by some unknown noble. I can only figure my father had to be a noble in order for her to choose the Underground City for a place to hide and raise me." Levi snarled, eyes narrowing.

"Yeah, I thought that, too. Do you have any other questions before I croak?"

"Do you have any ideas who my father is?"

Kenny stared at his nephew, his breathing becoming more labored. His time was almost up, he could sense it. And Levi knew it, too. He had seen death so many times, he knew the stages well enough to understand how much longer someone had.

"No, clue. I tried to find any hints, so I could punch him myself. But she kept nothing at that shitty house she raised you in. And the hiding spot she liked to store personal belongings at my house gave no indication, either."

They held their gaze. Levi looked away, disappointment rising in his chest. He had hoped Kenny had some inclination. This man was his mother's brother, and older than her by a few years. It was natural she would look up to him, even if he was the shittiest person in the world for a brother.

"What did you inject me with, when I was ten, and why?"

"Well, I think you have an idea on the answers are for both of those questions."

"I need to hear the answers, Kenny."

"All right, all right. Jeez, you're never usually this impatient."

"Just answer me already."

"I found a serum that read Bird's Eyes. And, when the king left his bag unprotected, I snatched it. I wanted you as my apprentice, and I couldn't stand the thought of you being blind." Kenny went into a series of coughs. Levi waited patiently for his uncle to continue.

"So, I injected you with it. I didn't give you all of it, though. I had to return the syringe, before he noticed it was missing. I gave you enough that I hoped it would fix you. And three days later, you woke up with eyes."

"So I didn't get the full serum. That explains why I'm nothing like the brat, Eren."

Kenny reached into his jacket. Levi tensed, expecting a knife, but instead he pulled out a small box with shaking hands. He handed it to the short captain, and curiously he opened it. It was a syringe with a serum inside. He looked up at Kenny questioningly.

"That's the...so called perfect serum. I...I thought about using it on myself to live a little longer. But then, I remembered...I remembered what you said. And it got me thinking of my grandfather. And I realized that... everything has an expiration date."

"...Why are you giving me this?"

"For you to do whatever you want with it. Destroy it, use it, give it to the Survey Corp, I don't give a fuck."

To say the least, Levi was surprised Kenny was accepting his death like this with open arms. He had thought the old man would have gone kicking and screaming, cursing him for being the one who ended his uncle.

"Let me tell you...a family secret. We came...from outside. And, since our first ancestor who came here, the government has hated anyone with the Ackerman name. See...we have this special power. At a young age, by some life changing event, we become stronger, faster, and ready to kill when our lives are threatened."

"I know that last part. But why are we hunted down?"

"Because...we're immune to whatever shit they got to alter minds, to alter realities and changing everything from the ground up. We became a two edged sword. They need our strength to protect the royal family. At the same time, they don't like that we're immune to their games."

"Let me guess, some people became so afraid that eventually everyone else saw us as monsters."

"Exactly. And so, we were hunted down. Of my generation, only three of us survived out of ten. Your mother, and our cousin, who got eloped and ran to the mountains. Come to think of it, I can't quite remember, but that same man she married, he was looking for Kutchel some years before those two met."

At that, Levi stared at Kenny with surprise. They shared the same thought, but neither dared to speak it aloud.

"Nah, couldn't have been him. Must have been his brother, or something. It doesn't matter anyway." Kenny started coughing again.

"Fuck this shit."

"You're the one who said one day you would be killed by someone who will succeed you." Levi reminded.

"Hah...that's true. Some part of me hoped it would be you. And here we are..."

"Why me specifically?" Levi was curious, now.

"What better way to die but by the hands of my nephew? The very nephew I raised and trained to be better than me."

"You held out better than most of my opponents. The only person to ever survive from me is Erwin. I plan to keep it that way." Levi noted that the sun was starting to set.

"Oi... would...would you mind doing me a favor? Just my last request before I die?"

Levi stared at his uncle, and the image of the sight before him burned within his head. Never before he had ever seen Kenny so _broken_. The usually prideful man never gave up on anything, never once had Levi seen his uncle so defeated.

"As long as it's not sex. That's my only regulation." Levi stated the boundary.

"As if I can live long enough to pound into you. No, as much as I want to take you one last time, I'll die before I get to come. Just, let me hold you. I don't care if you hold me or not...I just need to hold someone as I'm dying." Kenny let his mask fall for the first time.

His eyes were filled with fright, and perhaps a little bit of hope. Reluctantly Levi scooted closer. Suddenly he was pulled to sit over the all too familiar lap, and once strong arms held him while Kenny weakly nuzzled his chest. After getting over the initial shock of being grabbed, Levi raised his arms to return the gentle hold.

One arm snaked around broad shoulders, while the other reached for the unruly hair. He thought over when Kenny told him he was glad he had found something precious in life, meaning his love for Erwin. Never in his entire life had he seen his uncle with anyone romantically. Maybe a few one night stands, when it wasn't him, but that was it.

And, in that moment, he realized they were both the same. They were monsters trying to survive a cruel, beautiful world. Only one of them found love to make the world seem brighter, and the other lost in his despair. That was the only difference between them.

"What happened to your precious person?" Levi had an inkling feeling it could go two ways, but asked anyway.

"He died. He was...a lot like you. So tiny...and yet so feisty and ready to show the world he wasn't weak. But...he had an illness, some disease the doctors couldn't heal. It was a slow, painful death, as he suffocated in his own blood, blood from his lungs as result of the disease..."

Levi closed his eyes tightly, and gently squeezed his hold a little more. He didn't need to hear anything else. He had found the answer to a question that he couldn't voice out loud.

 _Why was it, when each time we did it, your eyes saw someone else?_

He found his answer, and he didn't even need to hear a name.

They stayed like this, as Kenny slowly and surely died. Levi felt the last heartbeat the same moment the sun disappeared in the sky and night fell upon the land. He stayed there a few minutes more.

 _In the end I couldn't keep my promise to you, after all. The Blood Storm is not who I truly am._

Levi pulled away from the now cold corpse. He picked up the box, and stuffed it in a pocket. He reached inside his uncle's jacket for his favorite knife. Levi flicked it open, and tested it in the air. Despite its age, it was still a decent knife. He pocketed that, too, opposite of where Talon was, but in the same pocket as the tiny box.

He then began searching in each of the pockets. He found the key to the house, and took it. Since that house had been with the Ackerman family for a few good generations, he might as well keep it. And maybe touch it up, later. Levi wasn't quite sure if he was going to remain in the Survey Corp or not.

 _If I don't back out, then I will remain with them until my death. But, there's a lot of unfinished business._

Levi turned when the night was giving away to a bright light. He felt his heart stop when he saw the forest was now up in flames from the heat alone of the Colossal type that was so much bigger than the one that broke through Wall Maria, and then tried to do the same to Wall Rose. Through the trees he could see the ugly Titan towering over the forest.

Quickly, with little time, he checked his gas cannisters. They were lower than he needed to escape the forest. He knelt down to check the cannisters attached to Kenny. They were still half full. If Levi hadn't stabbed him, then he wouldn't have been able to catch up to his uncle.

Levi knelt down and replaced his cannisters with Kenny's. As soon as he was done, he launched high into the air, barely out of reach from hot flames catching his clothes. He sped onward as he raced to escape the forest, and yet heading in the direction towards Wall Sina.

 _I have to get back to Erwin. I have lost too much precious time._

He grit his teeth as he forced himself to pace, using his gas wisely. Levi couldn't go at top speed or else he wouldn't be able to get out of the burning forest alive. His chest tightened from the smoke, and his throat felt dry, and his eyes watered from the intense heat.

 _Erwin! Have patience, I'm coming! I have to tell you in person that I love you!_

A tree fell in front of his path. He instinctively rolled over the burning tree, the flames licked his back. Amazingly, neither his clothes nor his body caught on fire. But the heat was unbearable. However, the tree in turn had a domino effect.

Another tree, unburnt yet, fell. One of its branches caught Levi. He tumbled down with it, and crashed to the forest floor with the heavy branch over his legs. Levi tried to crawl out, but he couldn't budge. And he didn't have any blades with him to cut himself out.

Smoke filled his lungs, and the heat didn't help any better. He coughed, his eyes watered even more. Levi was trying to hold back the panic from settling in, but with so little resources to escape, not even his years of training would help him now.

 _Erwin!_

=3=

Erwin lead the small group set to dispose of the new Colossal type. He had Hange and their squad to gather up Military Police and Wall Garrison for a possible showdown if the Colossal type reached Wall Sina.

Without Captain Levi, his hopes of even doing any damage was not in their favor.

He lead the Special Forces Squad, as they skirted a safe distance away from the target. They watched in concern as the heat emitting from the Titan was so great a fire was started in the forest, and the blazes were quick to spread since it was late summer and everything was dry.

"What should we do? We've never taken any titans that size before." Jean was losing hope.

"Maybe Eren's control power can be of use." Armin suggested weakly.

"Any luck back there, Eren?" Erwin looked back to check the Titan shifter.

"I can't...I'm trying but... nothing I do is making it stop. Maybe it doesn't work on chemicals like me?" Eren bit his lip in defeat.

Mikasa turned her eyes towards the forest. She usually has a good sense if something happened to anyone who she considered family, whether it be Armin or Eren. But both of them were by her side, and with a questioned look, she stared at the forest. It didn't take long for her to figure out who it was that her instincts were flaring up for.

"Something happened to the captain. He's in that forest."

Everyone stared at her in wonder and surprise. And all of them felt their hearts sink at the news.

"Are you sure he's in that forest?" Erwin felt worry rise up, and he pushed away any worst case scenarios in his head.

"Yes, I am positive he's in there."

"We're heading closer then. But we have to stay far enough if we have to run from the fire." Erwin changed their course. He was rather grateful they didn't have Stella after all.

Before they had left the estate, the mare got spooked and ran into the forest. The mare shared a strong bond with her caretaker. Erwin silently hoped that bond was strong enough for the horse to find Levi and escape.

The small group were a little less than ten miles from the forest. Even from here, they could feel the heat. All the while, they kept an eye on the Colossal type, as it slowly and clumsily made it's way towards Wall Sina. Even though it was a frightening height no human had seen yet, the size made it slow in it's movements.

"There! Look!" Eren pointed.

Suddenly they followed where he had pointed, which was towards the forest. A gust of strong wind flattened the flames for a few seconds, and just as they rose up again a horse made a clean jump over a fallen trunk. They recognized Stella instantly, and somehow she was unburnt as she raced towards them.

In the saddle was Captain Levi, covered from head to toe with soot and ash. His squad cheered upon seeing him, and in turn he raised a fist in the air. Hope was among the squad once again.

"Captain Levi!"

"Way to go, captain!"

"Good to see you alive, there!"

Jean whistled in joy, while some of the others clapped or pumped their fists in the air. Levi didn't slow his horse down until he pulled her to an abrupt stop next to Erwin. Stella breathed heavily, smoke still in her lungs, and the grey mount next to her affectionately nudged against her heated neck.

Levi didn't waste any time and leaped off his mare and tackled Erwin without warning. The commander wasn't expecting the movement and the two of them fell, startling his own horse. To Erwin's luck his grey stallion didn't run away, just shied from the two but turned his attention back to the dark mare.

Erwin wrapped his arms around the tiny waist, and smiling at the rare affection he was receiving from the usually distant captain. And on top of that in front of his own squad, Levi had always been too shy to be affectionate in front of other people.

"I'm glad to see you, too little bird. I missed you."

"I love you." His voice was hoarse, and his throat so dry his words barely above a whisper.

Erwin stared down at Levi, surprise filled his handsome features. With little effort he sat up, still holding the smaller body close to him, and the small arms were shaking. Was he afraid of rejection?

"Love you too, Levi. And that's something that will never change."

Levi tensed at those words. He bit his lip, and he didn't have to turn to his squad to know someone filled Erwin in about a lot of secrets that came out of the shadows of his past.

 _Somone told him. Someone dared to tell him._

He felt slightly reassured that the commander wasn't going to let his past ruin what they had.

"I would hate to break up the adorable moment you guys have, but we have a Colossal Titan to take care of. And we need to get far away from those flames." Jean broke the romantic moment.

"You could have let them enjoy each other a little longer." Sasha pouted.

"And watch them go at it? No thank you! I'm still bleaching my brain from the weird sweet talk between the captain and that one creepy crazy assassin. She was...ugh." Horse Face shivered at the thought of her.

"Let's get going. We need to figure out how to take this thing down."

Levi pulled away, and stood on wobbly legs. He was honestly surprised they hadn't been broken from a tree pinning them to the ground, but he was grateful they didn't break. He did however, struggle to get back on his horse. He was suddenly lifted up and placed on the saddle.

He nodded to Erwin in gratitude, for he knew the more he spoke, he would lose his voice. The commander waisted no time to get back on his mount, and the group set off. They went at a fast pace, but not a full gallop. For not all of them were on horses, but in the carriage.

"What are we going to do, sir? I can't think of any ideas to take it down. We can't climb it before we are incinerated by heat alone. And I don't think Eren can even do much damage in his Titan form." Armin was beginning to lose hope.

Levi pulled his mare to a stop, and pointed. Everyone stopped to follow his line of sight. The whole squad and the commander stared back at the captain in shock, and wonder if he finally lost his sanity.

"It wants the inner city. It's size is it's weakness. Look at it, it's starting to lose its ability to walk upright. By the time it reaches Wall Sina, it will be on its knees. Just the right height to peer over the wall. Then, we can take our only chance we have of desposing it."

They all looked back at the Colossal type. He was right, it was having trouble being able to support its own weight.

"I have an idea to add to that!" Historia spoke up, her determined face wavered a little when everyone turned to her.

"What do you have in mind?" Erwin gently urged her to continue.

"You want to remove the fake king and his officials, right? And place me on the throne? I have an idea to move the populace on our side. But... I'm going to need the help from the best of the best." She bit her lip nervously as she looked at Levi.

"Tell me what to do, and I'll do it." He said, in a rasped voice, ready to give out.

=3=

At dawn, the Colossal type was almost upon Wall Sina. The Military Police were working to keep the citizens from panicking, while Survey Corp and Wall Garrison stood upon the wall. General Pixis met with Erwin, and the two went over the plan Levi and Historia brought up.

The old man thought it was a little risky, but he had a good laugh out of it. If it worked, then it would be the most executed plan to save the city, and win the blind people over into their favor.

"Does this mean you can finally make your move, commander?" General Pixis inquired, eyes studying the three Scouts before him.

In front was Erwin, and on either side of him were none other than Hange and Levi. His eyes lingered on the short captain, noting that he appeared to have been thrown in Hell and crawled back out of it. Pixis allowed himself a grin at the sight.

"I heard assassins were hardy, but didn't know they were so crazy Hell would spit them back out."

Levi let his mask slip, and stared at the general in a mix of surprise and anger. How did he figure out?

"Don't look at me like that! I made the connection from the moment I saw your face. I met an assassin once, some years back. He must have been around your age or younger. Wild black hair, and a lot taller than you. But, you have his eyes. The same steely eyes that could make any man tremble in fear by just one look." General Pixis chuckled when recognition was read from the eyes he described.

 _He met Kenny and survived?_

Confusion must have been read on his face, when the old man answered his train of thought.

"I wasn't his target, when we met. I just happened to be in the way. He didn't expect me to show him I'm not going down so easily for being a witness. When I had him cornered, I offered him a drink. The look on his face was hilarious! Ah, but he accepted my flask and told me he was an assassin. And, just this once, he was going to let a witness live. Guess offering him a drink for my life was a good move, on my part."

"Consider yourself lucky. When he took me in, he didn't care about allowing witnesses to survive and tell the tale."

"So you are related. Just as I thought. There's no mistaking those eyes. Just wondering, how is he? Have to say, he was the only person who could possibly out drink me."

"He died." Levi wanted to say more, but he had finally lost his voice.

"Ah, shame. I had hoped to share one last drink with him, to commemorate old age."

Levi couldn't respond, and even if he had his voice, he didn't know what to say. Erwin had the grace to change the topic to the urgent matter at hand. For the Colossal type was slowly drawing closer.

"We need to prepare for the Titan that's going to be knocking on our doorstep. From there, I'm going to make my move against the government." Erwin turned his blue eyes to the generals gold ones.

"Will you be my ally on that matter? I told you my plans, and it would be good if I had your help."

They stared for an intense moment. After what seemed like an eternity, General Pixis gave his answer.

"I won't miss making those pigs roast. I had hoped one day I would be the one leading such a movement, but, before my eyes, I have grown too old. And I couldn't aspire an entire faction to follow me. You're something special, Erwin Smith. Let's have a drink after this. Invite your captain, too."

"Sir, shouldn't we keep an eye on him if he's an assassin? What if he intends to kill you?" His second in command frowned.

"Lass, look at him closely. He's Survey Corp through, and through. I believe he found his true calling. Amazing, isn't it Erwin? You can even turn a hardcore assassin into your pawn. Actually, in a chess board, he's your queen, isn't he? He can move where no one else can, and with one swift movement eliminate those that are in your way of your calculative plans."

Levi didn't hold back the cold, dark glare. His eyes flashed, and for just a second the birds eye effect came through. Just as it appeared, they vanished back to his normal set of eyes. Never in his life was it so hard for General Pixis to resist a shiver wrack through his body.

"He's more than just a part of my plans. There was something that I didn't foresee, and I'm grateful for it." Erwin smiled at the captain, his gentle blue eyes instantly calmed Levi, and his inner demons purred from the attention.

"Oh? And what's that?" The woman who was second in command to General Pixis inquired with a skeptical look on her face.

"Let's just say there's benefits between a King and his Queen in private."

That sent her blushing at the indication. Hange busted out laughing at her response, and even Levi allowed a knowing smirk on his face. The one who laughed the loudest was General Pixis.

"Good one, Erwin! I haven't seen her blush since she was drunk on the party night of her promotion! Oh, what a night that was!"

"S-sir! Don't bring that up!" She retorted, sputtering to keep herself under control.

"Oh, but I love bringing it up! You should let go once in a while, lass, just like that night you were so drunk you danced around topless! Everyone dies eventually, and before you die, you're going to wish you did the things you wanted to do. So, if we survive today, we're going all out! Drinks are on me tonight! Erwin, you and anyone who wants to party is welcome! Warning, things get a little crazy when I throw a party with drinks." General Pixis headed to his station, laughing along the way with his two blushing guards.

"Sounds like fun. Let's get going. The Colossal type is almost upon us."

The plan was simple. And to their luck, the Colossal type had exhausted most of its energy to get to the wall. The heat emitted from its body was considerably less than the night before, where it didn't need to touch the trees and the whole forest was aflame. It was still giving off immense heat, but not enough to be too damaging for Levi.

The plan was simple, to trick the simple people in the city below. He stood to the side, watching as the ugly Titan pulled itself on its knees. Just as he predicted, it was just enough to peer over the wall. Cannons were shot at its head, taking out its eyes. Smoke covered the area of its face.

With a nod from Erwin, Levi sprung into action. He ran toward the Titan. With fresh blades and enough gas in his cannisters he took from Kenny's corpse, he leaped high, his legs were still like springs despite how exhausted he was. From below, everyone could see a shadow in the smoke, moving at lightning speed.

Levi eyed his target. And with great effort, he pierced the skin, he ran along the broad neck as his blades sliced the vulnerable weak spot. He could feel the heat through his boots, and with great care he made sure to speed up. His chest tightened, still not fully recovered from the smoke and heat of his escape from a burning forest, but he willed himself to keep going.

When he reached the end of the neck, he leaped off the body. He flipped forward and made himself appear he was falling from the side, towards the inner city. With the smoke of the cannons still present, he caught himself at the edge of the wall just as he caught sight of Historia as she took her leap of faith.

Levi found he didn't have the strength to pull himself up. The exhaustion from last several days had caught up to him. His arms only had the strength to hold him there on the ledge. With care, he tried to see if his legs could push him up. However, Levi was having a rundown of his luck.

The leg he broke a while back was acting up. He grit his teeth, he couldn't feel the pain, but he felt his muscles spasm dramatically. His leg gave out, and he slipped, bit he still had a good grip on the edge. However it was now up to his hands to keep him from falling.

 _I can't die like this!_

He could hear the cheers below, as the people were moved by Historia. And the smoke and steam was almost cleared, and if he didn't get back on the wall their plan would be in ruins. The people would see that it was not their new Queen who had slayed the incoming monster that would have ended humanity.

He tried to call for help, but all that came out of his mouth was a soft, raspy scream just above a whisper. Levi desperately reached out with one hand, all the while using his other hand to pull himself up, and using his good leg to ease the weight his hand had to pull.

His boot slipped.

Levi let out a silent scream as his hand slipped from the ledge. His heart stopped as he fell, only to race again when a hand caught his outreached hand. He looked up to see General Pixis's second in command. With difficulty, as she was only a few inches taller than him, she pulled him up and over the edge.

He tried to stand, but his legs were too weak. Levi was on his knees, breathing heavily. He wanted nothing more than a warm bath to soak his aching body, wash the soot and ashes off of him, and sleep for the next few days. Levi nodded his thanks to the woman who saved his life.

"You don't have to owe me for that. If you really are so special to Erwin, I had to do something." She pulled her bangs to the side and out of her face.

 _I guess that's her way of saying you're welcome. I'll take that._

"Good work, lass. I was about to get him, but you were faster. I am getting old." General Pixis praised, admiring the decaying body.

"Erwin! If you can hear me, get your ass over to this side! Your captain almost had a nasty fall to his death!" The old man yelled just enough for his voice to carry over the steaming body.

Almost in an instant two figures expertly used their gears to climb over the body. Erwin and Hange landed safely and quickly ran to the short captain's side. Erwin cupped the pale face in his hands, which seemed to look ridiculous how his palms covered a whole cheek, and stared into pale blue grey eyes. He saw how exhausted Levi was, his energy spent to the point he couldn't even stand.

Erwin almost planted a kiss, when Military Police came up on them. Both the commander and general tensed at the sudden appearance.

"General Pixis, Commander Erwin. Excuse us, as we take in Captain Levi under our custody."

"On what charges? I demand to know." Erwin stood up, placing himself between the unicorns and his captain.

"The Anti-Personnel Control Squad informed us the deaths of nine soldiers, five Military Police and four Survey Corp, was done by one hand only. And they named someone who was once among them, but turned traitor and joined the Survey Corp."

"And you're going by their word alone? Don't you know that squad are assassins for the king?" Erwin countered.

"They named Captain Levi. We don't want to take him in, but we have to search him. If he has a curved knife that matches the wounds on those necks, then we have to arrest him on the charges of manslaughter nine officers, kidnapping the Special Forces Squad, and a traitor to the king."

"What is the penalty to such ridiculous charges?" General Pixis inquired, his eyes darkened.

"The penalty is death without trial. Now, if you please, commander, step aside so we can search him. If he doesn't have a curved knife, then we won't arrest him."

Levi felt his heart sink. He could feel Talon in his pocket, and in the other was his uncle's knife he took, as well as the box that contained the perfect serum. He was cornered, and he couldn't allow the Military Police to get their hands on the box. His eyes stared at Erwin's back, and even though he couldn't see a face, he sensed what the commander was going to do.

 _I can't allow you to take my place. You are more important than I am to the Survey Corp, to humanity._

Levi struggled to stand, willing his tired body to move. He sneaked the box and key to the house he grew up in, he stumbled into Hange, who quickly steadied him. He sneaked them into Hange's pocket. Levi then limped toward the officer, ignoring Erwin's arm that reached out to him.

Without further delay he reached into his pockets, and pulled out both knives, presenting them in each palm.

"...I am afraid to say this, but Corporal Levi Ackerman, you are under arrest. You will not have a trial, and you will be brought to the king to be executed." The officer stated, as he reached for handcuffs.

Levi smirked. He had a last ditch plan to keep the stupid unicorns occupied while Erwin and Pixis made their move. At his expression, the officer paused. Levi found enough of his voice to speak a simple challenge.

"Catch me, first."

And with that he ran to the edge of the wall and leaped. As he fell, he pocketed his knives, and used his hear to maneuver around the buildings. He didn't have a lot of energy left, and truthfully, he wasn't sure where this energy came from. But the adrenaline was pumping through him, and he hoped it would be enough to last as he kept the unicorns occupied just long enough for Erwin's plan to finish.

 _Erwin, I don't know how much time I can give you. I don't even know if I can survive this, to see your dreams come to life. I really hoped that I could stand by your side the day humanity won against the titans._

Bells went off, the sound of another alarm going off through the city. He caught sight of Military Police officers trying to corner him. But even though he was exhausted, he had tricks up his sleeve to ward them off. He managed to maneuver out of their attacks with ease.

 _I hope this is enough. I got to say I love you in person. And, forgive me. I couldn't keep my promise to you, either._

He laughed when someone tried to tackle him, but missed. The officer yelled something offensive at him, which earned a cold and raspy laugh from his mouth. These idiots thought he was so easy to capture, he was going to have fun while he was going to mess with them.

 _I don't know how much time I can give you. But I hope this is enough._

And for some odd reason, despite the strained muscles, his struggle for every breath, the tight pain in his chest, and how ready his body was going to give out on him, he never felt so _alive_. He felt strangely at peace within himself. For once his inner demons weren't forcing their way out. They, too, were content for once.

Levi was flying as he expertly moved with the gear. He had never before tested how far he could really go, how high he could reach. He never tested beyond his boundaries in the air. He felt exhilarated now that he was going into the unknown of his talents. He was flying with all he had and more.

For the first time, he was freed from the cage that trapped his heart for so many years.

 _I love you, Erwin._

=3=

Death: Phew. This was an intense chapter. I loved writing it, though. I have to say, this one is my favorite chapter to write so far in this story.

I hope I delivered well with Kenny's death? I know it was a little drawn out, but, so was his actual death in the manga. And, I hope I made it more interesting? A part of me wanted it to end violently, but then I remembered that Levi had known violence his whole life. By now he would be tired of it all, and went against his promise he made to Kenny.

In a way he still killed Kenny. He was the cause of his death, after all.

Please leave a review~


	16. The Queen's Guard

Death: And here we go! Such an epic part of the story! Loved it in the manga! However, since I cannot claim AOT, I have to add my own little spice in it.

 **Chapter Sixteen** The Queen's Guard

=3=

Levi never felt so alive as he did now. He twirled and rolled, as he fled the Military Police with ease. Even if they had been the best in training, they didn't hone their skills after they became unicorns. Compared to Survey Corp, these idiots playing guards had nothing on the faction that risked their lives to fight titans.

 _This is just child's play._

To prove this was just a game to him, he disposed of the blades he had used on the Colossal type. He was now unarmed, unless he needed to pull out his knives should these unicorns in uniform manage to corner him. But even then he wasn't going to kill them.

He had them running all over the city, as the people watched in a mix of awe and horror. Bystanders saw him make the Military Police seem dull, mindless and stupid faction. And he was thoroughly enjoying it.

 _Its about time to show you the difference between us really is._

From his years of training and experience as assassin, he had a bag full of tricks. And despite his tired body, he executed a number of them without difficulty. He did have trouble when he jumped through an open window, continued running, and broke through the window on the other side of the building and was in the air again.

Someone had predicted his move, but they were too slow to corner him. He cartwheeled at the officer, and the man dodged, thinking he had blades. He looked back briefly, surprised filled his face.

So they knew his best move to execute titans.

That was slightly disturbing. He had never reported his methods of taking out titans, and he had watched Erwin go over every report before sending them off to the officials. How did these people know his moves?

 _If they know that move, then do they know more about my tricks?_

Levi slowed down on using his tricks. He was no longer showing off. These guys knew things they shouldn't. And this bothered him, it would be one or two ways to explain this. And he didn't know which was worse.

One of the possibilities was that the Survey Corp was infiltrated. But who, and how? Erwin was careful when he went over the papers of every member. He would have seen something off from the start. Unless the government made papers so perfect, that not even he caught it?

Then there was one other possibility. The assassins.

 _If one of Kenny's little squad informed them that I'm the one responsible for those nine deaths, and even mentioned Talon, then would they have given them information about my tricks?_

There was only one person who came to mind who would do that sort of thing.

 _Liucretsia. It couldn't have been Kenny, he was never insecure about others talents. It had to have been Liucretsia._

This changed everything. Levi checked his gas, noting he still had enough. However, he knew that any longer then he would be out. And then how was he to run? The Military Police were all over the city, and he was on their home turf. Even though he was unmatched in the air, on the ground, that's a whole different story.

Levi caught sight of his squad once. They stared after him as he danced above them, dodging Ann attack from an MP. They didn't join up in the air with him, for Hange kept them grounded. He felt a little disappointed, as he was tiring rapidly. They were escorting the new Queen to the castle.

Even with adrenaline running through his veins, his body was exhausted. His mind was doing everything in his power to keep his body going. His muscles were screaming at him to stop. But he had to keep moving. At some point the pain went away and he felt numb.

 _If I stop, I will die. These guys won't hesitate to kill me on the spot._

He was making a fool out of them. And the Military Police hated that above anything else. On top of that, they believed him to be a monster. In truth, he was, but he put his assassin days behind them. But he doubted these people would listen to him.

Even as they circled him, he found a loophole. Even as they set up a trap, he saw it coming. He knew how these people worked, how to read them, and they acted just how he predicted. Even though his body screamed to stop, he knew that these people would be a piece of cake.

He had a harder time the night he was captured, refreshed from rest and enough food. Here, he had lost blood a few nights before, had little sleep last several days, and exhausted mind and body for one thing after another. And still these Military Police officers weren't giving him a hard time.

They tried driving him to the wall and corner him. He smirked, going with it. When he reached the wall, he used it to go higher. He reached halfway up before diving. They were too slow to react immediately, and by the time they did he had already gained a good distance.

He checked his gear. He was nearing an end on both cannisters. To ease the time allowed in the air, he landed on a rooftop and ran at top speed. When an MP tried to jump him, he swiftly dodged. He roof hopped a long distance, making them think he was lower on gas than he was.

It proved to be a handy trick when they laid out a net for him on a rooftop. He had jumped up, and seeing the net, he used his gear to avoid it. He now wished he hadn't disposed of his blades. Again. When will he learn?

Maybe the exhaustion was messing with his head.

The gear was almost sputtering to keep going. Levi was forced to slow down his pace, and he felt his heart race upon seeing the officers gaining on him. This was not good, he had to think of a plan and fast.

And then the bells had stopped altogether.

Some of the Military Police backed off, wondering why the bells have stopped, for they shouldn't have stopped until the danger had passed. A small group were still intent to capture him. They were too worked up to give up now.

Levi changed course to the palace in the center of the city. He was hoping the bells have stopped because Erwin had been successful in executing his plan. He was eager to finally end this wild goose chase.

As he neared, he saw Military Police, Wall Garrison, and Survey Corp gathered around the front of the castle. His heart leaped when he saw Wall Garrison escorting the high officials to the dungeons. His eyes caught sight of Historia, now bearing a crown on her head, and General Pixis and Commander Erwin behind her on either side.

Levi had been distracted long enough he almost didn't see an officer closing in on him. He twirled out of the way, but the officer was too close to him. Suddenly a blade reached for his chest. Levi ducked, sending a kick in return. The young man was pushed away, and Levi focused on his escape.

He turned, and saw that he had unintentionally interrupted Historia's speech, and now everyone was staring at them. Levi didn't see the audience, or the queen, though. He was only focused on Erwin, his eyes only saw the commander. There was relief in his handsome face.

Then if transformed into one of horror.

Suddenly he was tackled, he and the officer fell to the ground. They had landed in the forefront of the audience, and people screamed as they drew back, barely escaping injury. Levi was on his back, breath knocked out of him, and a blade at his throat.

 _Forgive me, Erwin. I didn't mean to die in front of you._

Suddenly, two blades were on either side of the officer's neck. Levi didn't have time to register who held them when his body gave up. His eyes closed without his permission, and passed out from exhaustion. He could hear distant voices trying to get his attention.

"Captain Levi! Stay with us!"

"Corporal, don't you dare give out on us!"

"Levi! Little bird, open your eyes!"

Levi welcomed the darkness that tempted him with promises of no more pain, from both mind and body.

=3=

He felt as if he were floating on a warm, fluffy cloud. The warmth felt nice, and he was wrapped securely in it, which was soothing to his aching body. He didn't want to wake up, he tried hard to grasp the sweet sleep where nothing went wrong in his life.

He felt a hand rubbing up and down his back gently. The hand was big, and almost covered his lower back from the palm to the tips of long and sensual fingers. He was then aware of his tiny body pressed against a much bigger body. Instead of being on a pillow, his head was resting on a not too hairy, bare chest.

He could hear and feel the strong, rhythmic heartbeat.

 _I could get used to waking up like this._

Reluctantly, he drifted away from his slumber. His eyes slowly opened, and he groaned softly while a small hand reached to the other side of the warm body to snuggle closer. He affectionately nuzzled the broad chest, inhaling the familiar scent he missed so much.

A soft chuckle made him look up. Erwin was smiling down at him, and his eyes warm. Levi was glad to see the thick beard was gone, and the handsomely chiseled face was bare of facial hair. The thick eyebrows now seemed lonely, though.

"Never have I seen you this affectionate, little bird." Erwin chuckled.

"...Am I dead?"

At that the commander laughed, his arms tightened their hold around his smaller body. Levi was still half asleep, and he felt as if he woke up in heaven. If there really was a heaven, this was what it felt like.

"No, you're not dead. You had a close call, though. You've been asleep for about a week."

Levi blinked, now fully awake. Questions rang through his head, and he was almost overwhelmed.

"...How am I still alive? They wanted to execute me..."

"Queen Historia gave the story you were her personal body guard for years, self appointed when you transferred her to training. When she joined the Survey Corp, you snuck your way in, forging papers so you can stay by your side. You were under her orders to save Eren, and hence you killed nine people. She didn't know her orders caused any deaths, and she will be reprimanding you personally, but your penalty will not be death, considering you kept her alive."

Levi stared, taking all of this information in. He didn't sit up all the way, only held himself up by his elbow on the soft mattress. He then noticed two things at once. One, he and Erwin were both naked, in the same bed, never have they done that yet, and he found he enjoyed it. And two, the room they were in was way too nice. It took him a moment to realize they were in the royal palace.

"...She cleared my name, and at the same time she cleared you of any suspicion of staging this entire revolution."

"She came up with the idea all on her own, last minute, when she saw you were about to be killed. I think she'll be a great queen." Erwin praised, feeling quite proud of himself.

 _Smart girl. And of course he's enjoying the riches of his plans come to fruition._

"Stop feeding your ego. It just might turn you into General Pixis one day. An old man who drinks away, and yet still manages to pull off his job when drunk." Levi rolled his eyes.

"I can't help it when I have succeeded. I couldn't have done it without you, though. Half of the work of this revolution was you."

"Please, all I did was narrow it down to a few people. And then rescued her from her father. You were the one who planned all of this."

"But you kept it going. You improvised while I was down for the count. If you hadn't kept a good head on your shoulders, none of this would have happened, and we could both be dead by now."

Levi didn't know how to respond to that. He honestly didn't feel like he was a big part of this, but when Erwin put it like that. He wasn't quite used to positive praise and recognition for his efforts.

"So what am I to do from now on? Am I still going to be captain of the Special Forces Squad? Or am I stuck at this awful palace?" He needed to know. He didn't want to be stuck here.

"Since you're the only member of her personal guard, she has told me you can continue your services for the Survey Corp. However, she is setting up some sort of training and tests for people to join and serve under you. She's even opened up for civilians, any members of the three factions, and any trainees still left for military and the assassins."

Levi blinked at the mention of trainees from his former line of work. He wasn't expecting that at all.

"Why would she do that?"

"She wants to give them the possibility to live a better life. But she was stern that they must not kill unless absolutely necessary."

At that, Levi laid back down. He nuzzled into a soft neck, and he remembered the day he nipped the very same spot some months before. He couldn't resist an opportunity presented to him, and so he reached a little closer and nipped. He didn't bite too hard, but hard enough it stung and leave a mark.

Erwin groaned deep in his throat. Levi shivered from the sound. And then he was rolled to his back with the bigger man on top of him. Levi felt his breath hitch at the sight, and without hesitation he wrapped his scrawny arms and legs around Erwin, latching onto the perfect body above him.

Levi lost himself in blue eyes that held the sky in them.

"Before I ravish you, and I know you like it rough, but I want our first time to be memorable. I would like to inquire a few things your squad and Hange brought to my attention while you were resting for a week."

 _Can't we just set things aside and worry later?_

Levi snapped out of his daze. He bit his lip hard, almost drawing blood, and his thin eyebrows knitted together. His heart sank to his stomach, and dread filled his mind. Seeing how distraught he was, Erwin bent down to place a gentle kiss on the pale forehead.

"I promise you, it won't affect what we have. I won't leave you. I just have some concerns about a few things. If you want, I can ask at a later date. I hate seeing you like this."

Levi felt his heart flutter in his chest. He felt the worry mostly disappear, but it still lingered like a shadow.

"No, it would be better to get it out in the open. It will eat at the both of us if we waited." Levi willed himself to stare at stern blue eyes.

"You had to revert back to your old self back in the assassins days to fight your former comrades. I can understand why you did so, and it obviously worked. But, there was one particular assassin that you seemed to enjoy working up, the one you and Mikasa took down. What was going on about that particular assassin that you had vulgar conversations with her?"

 _Did he have to start off with that worry? Wait, is he jealous because I sweet talked her the entire time?_

"My, my, didn't know the commander would get jealous over little old me."

"I'm serious, Levi." He sounded defensive, guarded, and a hint of bitterness.

 _Knew it. The Erwin Smith is jealous._

"Well...I met her in my training days. She immediately caught my eye. This was how I learned I didn't like girls. I had a one night stand with her, and I didn't want to stick with her or any females. She didn't take the rejection lightly and became obsessed with me." Levi retracted one of his arms from a broad shoulder.

He bared his neck for Erwin to better see the scars on his neck. Levi lightly traced them, watching Erwin.

"Her name was Liucretsia. She caused these. I don't understand why she never cut deeper than the first few layers of skin and actually cut my head off, or sever my vocals, but that's all the damage she did over the years. And, while I was in that set of mind state, I couldn't help but throw into her face that I fucked her life up, and she couldn't move on. A part of me...kind of enjoyed it."

"I figured as much. Some of your squad jumped into weird conclusions. I will admit their persistence got to my head a little. I'm glad it's nothing to worry about." Erwin seemed relieved.

 _Of course, they did._

"What else did you need me to clear up?"

"Kenny. Hange has a theory that you went under heavy abuse under him. And majority was sexual. You explained the traumatizing parts of your training, and yet you said he never acted on the sexual torment with you. Did he, or did he not sexually abuse you?"

 _I was afraid of this. Shit, Hange. Of course they figured this out so easily._

Levi gulped. His mouth was now dry. He wanted to look away from those eyes, but that would only show his guilt. Blinking, he inhaled to gather his courage and answer truthfully.

"Once. He did that once. Well, fourteen times on my fourteenth birthday. But that was the only time he forced himself on me."

Blue eyes hardened at his words. Levi bit his lip, as he forced himself to continue explaining.

"I...my body craved for the pain. When I first did it with Farlan for the first time, eleven years later, I was unsatisfied. It felt better than Liucretsia, but I was still left empty. And...I did an experiment. I pushed Kenny while he was drunk. And...it spiraled from there. He never initiated the needs we had, unless he was coaxing me back to reality. Otherwise I initiated when my body needed his roughness."

Levi blinked away tears that threatened to fall. No, he wasn't going to cry in front of Erwin. Not even as his chest clenched, and he could taste the copper in his mouth when he bit down on his lip too hard. Suddenly Erwin sat up, pulling his smaller body with him. Surprised, Levi grabbed hold of broad shoulders and held on. Erwin then pushed him up against the headboard at the end of the bed.

Levi gasped, not understanding what was going on. He looked into blue eyes, and for the first time he was afraid of them. No longer caring to hold back his tears again, and one of his hands reached up to blonde hair. It felt soft, and it would normally calm him by its silky texture, but those eyes that bore into him frightened him.

 _Please don't hate me. I didn't understand my body, or my mind. Don't hate me for what I am._

"I'm sorry, Erwin. I didn't tell you because I was scared. I was scared you would find me disgusting, that I was filthy for what I am. And, I knew you would want to kill Kenny. But that was my need, I needed to be the one to end him, and put my inner demons to rest. He had to be slain by my hands only. I'm sorry..."

At his confessions, those blue eyes softened. There was still hurt and anger in them, but they were mostly tamed. Suddenly Erwin pulled them back, embracing the tinier body tightly. He whispered sweet murmurings while he kissed all over the pale face.

The last time he had seen Levi cry, was when he had been forced to kill his former lover. But Erwin didn't get to see the tormented face while the tears raced down his pale cheeks. The sight made his chest tighten, and his stomach lurch. He hadn't meant to cause this pain.

"I'm sorry, little bird. Please forgive me. Please don't cry. I love you, Levi. I love you."

 _I love you, Levi._

Those words calmed his racing mind. And just like that his inner demons were put to sleep. The tears stopped flowing, but his nose had the sniffles. He smiled weakly when gentle lips kissed just below one of his eyes. Levi adjusted and met their lips for a gentle kiss.

When they pulled away, Levi stared into blue eyes. They stared at him inquiringly, and there was warmth in them once more.

"I would never find you filthy, Levi. You're perfect as you are, flaws and all. Even with these scars, I'm entranced by you. Even with your dark needs, you're only human. I will try and satisfy your inner demons, but there will be times I can't always be rough." Erwin assured him.

 _Even after learning the whole truth? How can he stay by my side after all of that?_

"You already satisfy them. You're the first person that, just by words alone, they're content. I guess...all they wanted all along was to feel love. Even with Farlan, I don't think that was true love. I think we just fell in love with each other's bodies." Levi allowed himself a small smile.

"That's good to know, then." Erwin smiled fondly.

"Did you have any other concerns?" Levi sniffed, wishing now he had something to wipe his nose with.

"No. Wait, yes. Talon, why are you so attached to it? I know you handed Hange the only Titan serum that didn't get destroyed, and some key we don't know where it goes to, but you didn't hand over Talon why?" Erwin was curious what made that knife so special.

"It was a gift from Isabel. She gave it to me on my twenty fourth birthday. She searched up and down the cities, underground and above, to find a curved knife that wouldn't break on me. Curved knives are my favorite. And before Talon, my previous one broke. So she found me a better quality one." Levi spoke with pride as he reminisced.

"Okay, but why didn't you hand it to Hange when you had the chance?"

"Because I wanted to keep the gay unicorns busy while you pull off your plan. I wasn't sure if you had a plan to keep them off of you and the Wall Garrison, so I served myself as a distraction. Why are you asking me this? Didn't you recognize what I did to help you?" Levi blinked, confused.

"Yes, yes I did. I just wanted to see if you just wanted to make them appear as fools on their home turf."

"Actually, that was part of it. I had fun while doing it. But...they knew a good number of my moves." Levi frowned, remembering what had bothered him when he was on the run.

"Do you think they were informed?" Erwin showed the same concern.

"I think it was Liucretsia, if they had been informed."

"We'll look into it more later. By the way, what is that key for, the one you gave Hange?"

"My house. If you have time, I'll show you today. I haven't seen it the last four years, so I don't know the condition of it. It's the house that's been in my family for a good few generations." Levi needed to look around for the hiding spot Kenny spoke about that his mother liked to use.

He knew a good few hiding spots, but apparently he hadn't found all of them. And, he didn't know why, but he wanted to show Erwin the house. It was strange, how after Isabel's death, he didn't want to bring anyone to that house ever again. And yet he wanted to show Erwin the hose he grew up in.

"We'll see, if not today, then within the next few days. Would you mind if we bring Mikasa? If that's a house for the Ackermans, she needs to see it, too." Erwin genuinely felt that she needed to be a part of the tour.

 _You're dense, Erwin. But, he has a point._

"I guess. That means Eren and Armin will be going with us. You know those three won't leave one or the other go anywhere without following." Levi shrugged, not really minded.

Their mood had been lost, but they were eager to continue the promise for a roll in the sheets, soon. Erwin had informed him that Levi was required to see the queen after he had woken up. Erwin was already at risk for spending some time alone with Levi, when the queen had been strict that she had to see him as soon as he awoke.

So, they dressed. Levi was back in Survey Corp uniform. Except for some reason, Erwin told him to leave behind his jacket and cloak. Confused, he went along with it. Though his eyes studied Erwin, with his jacket and cloak that proudly showed off the Wings of Freedom.

Why couldn't he wear them?

He found the answer soon enough, when the pair found Queen Historia in her studies with the Special Forces Squad. Hange was there, too, going over papers Erwin had dumped on them. The commander had spent the majority of the week watching over Levi, it would seem. As soon as they entered, everyone jumped up.

"Levi!"

"Captain! You're alive!"

"Looks like someone finally woke up. Did Erwin give you a true love's kiss?"

Levi glared at Hange, eyes narrowed with a dangerous glint. Even though it had been a joke, he didn't find it funny.

"And he's back to normal. Good to see the old captain back! I like you better this way, you were too cold when you reverted to your behavior as an assassin." Hange didn't seem fazed by his glares at all.

"Is there a reason I can't wear my usual uniform?" He decided it was best to ignore their their antics, his eyes focused on the queen.

She smiled a bright smile. Once again, he felt that she was so sweet, his teeth were rotting just by seeing her smile.

"Erwin informed you of your new position?" Historia eyed the commander, it would seem she settled just fine as her new position as queen.

What caught his eye was that she wasn't wearing a fancy dress or the grand crown he saw before he collapsed. Historia wore a simple blue dress that brought out her eyes, and her hair was done in a simple ponytail. She wasn't used to grand things, he guessed.

"Yes, I told him. He was surprised you thought of the cover up." Erwin smirked when Levi turned his glare at the commander.

"What he failed to mention, is that I am grateful to you. Without your quick thinking, I wouldn't be here today." Levi felt awkward, forcing himself to be polite.

"Don't mention it. So, you are now the captain of my personal guard. I have already started the process of recruiting a squad for you. And, well, your squad wants to be a part of it, and I just wanted to ask you before I accepted them." Historia informed him, not used to him being so formal.

Levi blinked, staring at his squad in question. They all seemed eager, excitement on their faces. He felt pride swell in his chest. But at the same time, a worry filled his head. He turned his attention back to the petite girl.

"Wouldn't that make it seem you're favoring the Survey Corp? Erwin said you were opening your arms to all three factions for a chance, even the assassins in training."

"I had a feeling you would say that. And I am still going to accept members from all three fractions, but I was thinking you should choose who from the Survey Corp be accepted. I was thinking two from each faction, and then two from the assassins." Historia was one step ahead.

Levi raised an eyebrow. He considered carefully. He wanted to name Mikasa, but then that left him to choose between Armin and Eren. He couldn't separate them. And, if he was to finally retire from the Survey Corp, he wanted Mikasa to succeed him. He turned his focus on the others. He didn't need to think too hard on a decision.

"I choose Jean Kierstein and Sasha Braus."

Horse Face was stunned, while Sasha whooped with the others. Eren and his two shadows were ecstatic too, but there was also a look of relief on their faces. He was right, he couldn't separate them like that when eventually he had to focus only on his duty as the Queen's Guard.

"Congratulations, you guys. I'll add their names and cross out openings for Survey Corp. Oh, and, will the two of you stand next to Levi? I have the new uniforms already made for the Queen's Guard Squad.'

The three stood in attention. Jean and Sasha removed their jackets and cloaks, awaiting the new uniforms. Hange reached into a drawer where uniforms were already made. Historia held three uniforms, and one by one handed the jackets to them. Curious, they unfolded their jacket and gasped.

Instead of the normal beige brown colored jackets, they were black. Levi examined the back to see the emblem. It's an outline of a white hawk in flight, and in its talons was a single red rose. Reaching around the hawk from the rose were black vines with thorns.

Levi understood the meaning perfectly. It was poetic, to say the least. He put it on, feeling how it fit just right on his tiny shoulders and the sleeves were just at the right length on his arms. As soon as he put it on, the other two followed suit.

"The hawk represents my guards. All of you have to keep a clear head and see all facts before jumping to conclusions. And the rose it's clutching is to represent myself. The thorns are my power to protect you all from any legal trouble. However, depending on the severity, there will be punishments."

Historia's eyes fell upon Levi. He resisted the urge to scoff. She didn't give any other inclination what his penalty would be, as she watched as Hange passed out the cloaks. They were the same as the Survey Corp, but had the matching colors of the jacket.

"If you don't mind me asking, but what's with all of the black?" Jean asked, not used to a different color scheme.

"As the Queen's Guard, you are not only required to protect me, but protect the people and the factions. Eliminate any enemies either silently, or if you have enough evidence for a court of trial, then make the arrest and bring them to the palace." Historia explained.

"So I'm put back into the job I had before I met any of you." Levi didn't know how he felt about this now as he clasped the cloak on.

"Yes, but the aim is for peace, not to eliminate people for my political benefit."

 _I don't know how well this is going to go. Especially when she's plucking two people from each faction, including the assassins. This could go really well, or end in a disaster._

"Are we still allowed to continue our services with the Survey Corp? Or is my title as captain of the Special Forces Squad void with this new position?"

"When the Survey Corp still needs you, yes. However, in about five years I will ask the three of you to terminate your time with the Survey Corp and focus only on the Queen's Guard. I know that is a short amount of time, but I cannot risk any of you having to choose between the two. I will offer the same to the other members when they are approved."

Levi eyed Erwin. Their eyes lingered, and they both had the same thoughts. It was too short of a time. But he couldn't argue with the queen. Neither of them could. It wouldn't do any good to stress her.

"What shall happen with the factions?"

"They will all be under reform. I am focusing mostly on the Military Police at this present moment. In the meantime, I am going through a list for my approval with the Queen's Guard. I saw a name that I found interesting among the assassin trainees. Captain Levi, Mikasa, are either of you aware there's yet another Ackerman?"

 _How?_

Levi blinked. Mikasa stared at the queen in confusion, as well as everyone else in the room.

"Did Kenny have any children?" Erwin inquired the short captain.

"Tch. That man touch a woman sexually? Please, I've only seen him interested in men. What's this person's name and background? Maybe one of the distant relatives who died left behind a kid." Levi was in doubt that this was true.

"Her name is Lavena Ackerman. She just turned fifteen, she was taken away from her the day she was born. She wasn't placed in an orphanage, but was instead placed in custody of an assassin who had no heirs to name, his name was Avarim Thorburn, who passed away about a month ago." The queen read off the paper.

"Since then she's been training as an assassin. However, when I made it known I was making a Queen's Guard Squad, she was among the first to apply. I found her name odd, and that's why I'm bringing it up to you guys. I thought you two were the last Ackermans left?"

"What's her mother's name? Or does it mention a father?" Levi didn't understand why he was suddenly feeling dread to know the answers.

"Her mother is Liucretsia De Cloette. It says here that the father is currently unknown. Strange, she wasn't given her mother's maiden name." Historia looked at him to see a pale face.

 _Fifteen years ago...it can't be...it might have been around that time period. Yes, it's about right. But that only happened once. Wait...was that why she was so bitter towards me? I heard she had been on sick leave when Kenny put me on solo training instead of group training..._

 _Oh, shit._

"I need...I need a moment. Can I take my leave now? I can't process this...I need to go. Excuse me." Levi turned and left the room.

He ignored the worried looks and the sound of his name. When he turned down a different hallway he ran. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, which was considered very fast despite his height. He heard distant shouts behind him from people trying to keep up, but he was too fast as he turned down a hallway without warning.

Eventually he ran out of the palace, and his legs didn't stop as he ran through the city. He dared not stop, and he didn't care for the bewildered looks at his uniform or emblem that has never been seen before.

His legs didn't stop until he stood in front of the very house he grew up in.

=3=

Death: I don't know where that last bit of drama came from. I'm sitting here writing and then that happened. I read over it, and decided to keep it in. We're not going to see her for a while, unless you guys want me to squeeze that in before Reiner and Bertolt make their move in the series of KIDNAP EREN YEAGER TIME.

I literally felt as if that's how it was in the manga at some point. Like, in every other few chapters Eren gets kidnapped. Then he gets rescued. And then he gets kidnapped. Then he's safe. Then he's kidnapped again. Like, SERIOUSLY MAKE UP YOUR MIND.

I am just decreasing the amount of kidnappings cause that would just take away from the story.

Anyway, please leave a review~


	17. Family Skeletons

Death: Forgive my brain I don't understand it at all at this point. And I must be ready for Halloween already cuz I almost typed _Family Skellingtons_.

Whoops. Good thing I caught myself.

 **Chapter Seventeen** Family Skeletons

=3=

He didn't have the key, and for once the house was locked. It didn't take long for him to break in, using the same method in his teen years of escaping in the late night to venture the inner city and then sneaking back in through his bedroom window. Which happened to be on the second floor.

Levi felt his muscles ache after he climbed up and opened his window, and then proceeded to crawl in with ease. He stood up, taking in his former bedroom curiously. It was the same as he left it. Same bed, same bedside table. Only, the mattress seemed poor condition now. And even the closet door was barely hanging by the hinges.

This was the only differences. He lightly tapped his boot on his hiding spot in the floor, just next to the bed. It was still hallow, and he knelt down to pry it open. Levi saw to his surprise, everything he had stored in here for safe keeping before he left.

They were only keepsakes of Isabel and Farlan. There was Isabel's little wooden carving of a sparrow. After she died, he saved it in memory of her. And then there was a book Farlan had given him on one of their anniversary's.

It was a book that speculated what was outside the walls. From what Levi understood, there were few copies of this book left. And it was one of Farlan's favorites. Yet he gave it to Levi as a token of their love.

 _He always did want to venture out of the cage of these walls._

Levi didn't understand why Farlan didn't take the chance to join the Survey Corp when he offered. That man would have been a great Scout, and with his skills with the gear he would have been a good asset to the cause.

He felt his mood darken, and he picked up the book, wanting to rip it to pieces. Then he noticed something that hadn't been in his hiding spot before. It was a small envelope, placed underneath the book. Levi reached in and opened it, noted that it was a little heavy.

There was a single piece of paper, and a necklace. Curious, Levi fished the necklace out. He felt his heart throb upon holding it in his hand.

 _This was my mother's._

He knew it by feel, not by sight. It even had the same chain, still strong after all these years. He rubbed the heart shaped pendant out of habit, something he always did when he was a child. He was surprised to recognize the material, now seeing it for the first time. He was remembering it can open, but his mother said he wasn't to open it until he was older.

 _The locket and the chain are silver. How did she afford it? And why did Kenny hide it until now?_

He placed the necklace down to read the short and brief letter. Levi recognized Kenny's horrible handwriting.

 _Levi,_

 _I don't have much time left. Some disease took hold of me, but that's not how I plan to die. If I die by your hands, then I can at least die a warrior's death. It gives me something to look forward to._

 _I took this when I found you, as something to remember my sister by. I didn't know a good time to hand it over. If you end up succeeding me, think of it as a congratulations gift._

 _Kenny_

Levi blinked, finding he wasn't surprised it wasn't some meaningful note. It was short, brief, and to the point, just like Kenny. He folded the paper and placed it back in the envelope, then placed it inside the book. Levi held the locket, studying it, seeing it for the first time.

It was plain, no designs on either front or back. He opened it, blinking. The paintings were old, and very small. He wasn't sure how someone did so much details on a tiny canvas placed in each side. However, the paintings weren't taken care of very well. He could see one of the faces had to be his mother, with the long dark hair.

The faces were blurry, and all he could make out with the other face was blonde hair. Levi stared, trying to find any other features in the face. After squinting for so long, his eyes began to hurt. He closed it, feeling disappointed.

 _Well, there's part of the mystery. But why did she flee to the Underground City? She could have just moved to one of the smaller cities along the walls. Why go into that hellhole to raise me?_

These questions burned in his mind more than his want to find out who fathered him. He had a strange feeling it had to do something with his father's family, though. Levi stood up, placing everything but the locket back in his hiding spot.

He decided to look around the house. Levi found the place a mess, and some of the furniture was broken. The house had not been taken care of, and Levi resisted the urge to clean everything. Right now, he was on a mission, as he tried to distract himself from the knowledge he had a fucking _daughter_ and he didn't know about it until _fifteen years later_.

Levi searched each room thoroughly. He was almost about to give up, when he went through each room when he remembered there was an attic. He had never been up there, for he wasn't allowed. Levi found the entrance, and pulled the latter down. He climbed up, pushing the little door up and over.

Upon peeking his head up he covered his mouth and nostrils from the smell. The scent of rotting wood was strong, as well as layers and layers of dust. Taking a deep breath, Levi held it in as he climbed into the attic. He searched around, finding only wooden crates with papers that was no longer readable.

Levi paused when his foot stepped on a hollow floor. He knelt down, knocking on it. The hollowed area was small, and his fingers had difficulty grasping the wood to pull it off. At some point he had enough struggling and stood up, kicking down on the floor. He only needed one kick, to break the fragile wood.

Levi cleared away the broken pieces to find a small book wrapped carefully with fabric. He picked it up, and unwrapped it. Levi couldn't find anything on the cover that showed what it was. But when he opened it he found neat handwriting. The inside cover read Kutchel Ackerman.

Excited, Levi sat on the floor, not minding the dust for once, and began to read.

=3=

Erwin had a suspicion where Levi had gone. And just as he and Hange got ready to head to the house, suddenly the ground shook. They both looked up to see a titan with longer arms than legs tore through the palace. They recognized the appearance as Ylmir from the reports of the night she disappeared, the night titans appeared between the walls.

An arm reached into the courtyard, where the Special Forces Squad were hanging out. Erwin and Hange ran towards the comotion just in time to see her snatch Eren before leaping away from the castle with him.

"Eren!" Mikasa screamed, trying to run after them.

"Mikasa! There's a storage room of gear just down the hall to your right, first door on the left!" Hange skidded to a halt so as not to be squished from debris.

"Special Forces Squad! Go and chase her down! Our objective is to rescue Eren! I'll gather up the others. Now, go! We don't have a lot of time!" Erwin ordered, taking the initiative.

In an instant the squad ran to the storage room Hange mentioned. In a flash they were in the air, scrambling to catch up to Ylmir. Bells went off in the palace, and soon the entire city was going off as all the bells sounded the alarm.

The queen met up with them, and members of Military Police and Wall Garrison on her tail.

"What's going on!?"

"Eren Yeager has been kidnapped by a chemical titan! Send word to Wall Garrison to hold it off at the wall, we cannot allow it to climb over! Military Police, be the crowd control! If you fight it, it's at your own risk!" Erwin had already formed a plan.

In an instant everyone scrambled to get to work. With the rest of the Survey Corp gathered, Erwin lead them in the tight knit formation that copied the formation outside the walls. With this, he was going to surround Ylmir from all sides, while the Special Forces Squad and Wall Garrison held her off.

With members leftover, Erwin sent the rest of the Survey Corp on horses to race out of the gate to intervene should Ylmir escape. A group of Military Police sent a few squads of their own to spread the word to villages and Wall Garrison stationed on Wall Rose.

Erwin was closing in on Ylmir. He caught sight of the Special Forces Squad doing everything in their power to stop her, while avoiding her free arm. It extended much further than normal arms, nearly making up more than half her height. The commander briefly wondered why Eren hadn't transformed yet, when suddenly Ylmir jumped onto the wall and began to climb.

Cannons fired down upon her, and the rest of the Survey Corp had finally caught up to her. Just as she clung to the wall, nearly curled up and seemed everything was going against her favor, a bolt of lightning just on the other side of the wall rumbled in the air. Everyone knew what that signified.

Suddenly a head with no skin, just muscles and bone peared over the wall.

"IT'S THE COLOSSAL TITAN!"

It swung a hand on the cannons, wiping them away as if they were mere flies to him. Suddenly Ylmir continued climbing, and just as the Colossal appeared, it disappeared, and the whole area of where it stood, even on both sides of the wall, became covered in smoke.

Suddenly Ylmir released a primal scream of pain. Erwin could barely make out a figure who had leaped down from above and stabbed her eyes. Ylmir didn't lose her grip on the wall, though. But she couldn't fight off the figure when both hands were busy.

The same figure then turned their aim on the hand that held Eren. With one swipe the hand was in pieces, and Eren fell, unconscious. Mikasa raced in to catch him. Suddenly, Reiner raced in and halfway there he transformed. Everyone gasped at the sight of the Armored Titan in all his glory. He caught Eren in a hand, then bolted to the gate entrance.

"Stop him!"

Erwin caught sight of Levi, speeding after them. It was then he realized it had been Levi who stopped Ylmir. A sense of pride and hope swelled in Erwin's chest. He watched as Levi twisted in the air as he took a slice at the nape of the neck.

The blades broke, pieces went flying, one of them scraped the captain's face. Levi didn't even stop there, as his furiousness took control of him. Despite the blood going over his eyes, he replaced his blades and went for the eyes again.

Reiner knew what he was doing. He covered his eyes with an arm, and Levi didn't have enough time to draw back. Erwin felt his heart sink as the blades broke again, and this time the pieces cut the short captain all over. And _still_ he was undeterred.

By now Levi's squad had caught up, but they couldn't do anything when Reiner swatted at him. Taking his chance, Levi went in again for the eyes. However he had to dodge a hand from grabbing him, and he only got to pierce one eye. The blade barely made it halfway through, as somehow even the eyes were made of tough stuff.

Finally Reiner was angry. He roared as he charged, and broke through the gate. Levi and his squad went after him. They were on the ground running until they neared some trees to be in the air again. Erwin lead the reast of the Scouts through, and watched as the group he had placed to wait for a titan to come through slowed Reiner down.

They had completely forgotten about Ylmir.

She jumped down from the wall, leaping after Reiner. She climbed onto his back while she focused on fighting off anyone who came too close. Erwin grit his teeth at the sight. They made a good team, and he noted someone was on her back, exhausted.

He didn't get a good look when his eyes were drawn on Levi. The short captain was bleeding all over, and yet that didn't stop him. His movements were rapid and nearly frantic as he tried to get close to Ylmir and take her out. Mikasa was by his side, and together they moved in perfect synchronization.

They almost became too much for Ylmir when Reiner took a swing at them. With their top speed, both Ackerman dodged the oncoming swipe. Erwin noted they were closing in on Wall Rose. But Reiner was aiming for the quickest escape. He wasn't going for a gate. He was aiming for the wall itself.

 _We can't have him break through Wall Rose!_

Suddenly, Reiner was slowing down. Ylmir got off of his bback and smoke surrounded them as Reiner transformed into his human body and got on Ylmir's back with Eren. The other person helped keep Erwin steady. The Survey Corp increased their speed frantically to catch up with Ylmir as she leaped faster to the wall.

She made the distance in a short time. The majority of the Scouts couldn't catch up, despite their top notch speed in the air. The only two who managed to keep up were Levi and Mikasa, as they tried to stop her from climbing any further.

Reiner went into the air and began fighting them off with his own blades. He was strong enough to take on both at once. Levi tried to keep the fight betweven only them so Mikasa can get to Ylmir, who was halfway up the wall.

Cannons rained down on Ylmir. Most of them grazed passed her, and she was quick to dodge them as she climbed up. Erwin finally reached the wall, and he could hear the shouting back and forth between the three fighting above him.

"You would dare turn against your own, after all that has happened!?" Levi growled.

"You should understand the feeling! You betrayed the assassins!" Reiner threw back.

"You were our friend! We all went through training together! We lost comrades together! And you do this? What is your goal, Reiner? Was everything a lie?" Mikasa yelled as she tried to get around him to reach Ylmir.

"No...it's..." Reiner lost track to what he was saying when he tried to stop her with the blunt of his blade. Suddenly Levi intervened, taking the hit.

The captain didn't even scream, even as the loud _crack_ reached all ears of anyone nearby. Erwin sped towards them, while Mikasa hesitated between Ylmir and her captain.

"Go! What are you waiting for, bitch!? Just go! I can hold him a while longer!" Levi ordered, which snapped her to reality and sped upwards.

Levi turned on Reiner, releasing his full force. He was like a storm that was released after being held back for so long. Reiner, despite his strength, had a hard time fighting off the barage of attacks. Erwin was upon them, aiming a blade towards the younger man, careful to avoid the captain.

Reiner grunted as he blocked both of them at the same time. With great difficulty, he pushed Erwin away, sending the Commander down several feet. Thinking quickly, Reiner cut both lines of Levi's gear, sending the captain falling.

"Levi!" Erwin switched to dive down after his lover.

Reiner raced after Ylmir, on her back once more just as she reached the top of the wall. Mikasa watched as they disappeared over the other side. She stood on the wall, watching them disappear. She fell onto her knees as one thought crossed her mind.

 _Eren...I failed you. Levi's sacrifice was for nothing._

Behind her, Erwin caught the short captain just before they reached the ground below. He held the bleeding body close with one arm while he quickly made the gear pull into a hard stop. Levi held on tightly, suddenly feeling dizzy.

"Erwin...I tried..." Levi breathed.

"I know, you did good. You were of great help. However, I am worried about your injuries." Erwin said as he slowly lowered them down.

"Don't make me stay behind on the rescue mission. Please, Erwin..." Levi tried to stand on his own feet, but he was too wobbly.

"I can't make any promises. In a few hours I am going to gather everyone for a rescue beyond the wall. It might be too late in the day to venture beyond the wall. If you are better before the dawn, then you can come." Erwin steadied the short captain.

Mikasa landed close to them with a solemn look on her face. She couldn't even look at Levi.

"I'm sorry. I failed."

"I don't hold it against you. I have no regrets about what I did. You shouldn't, either."

=3=

That night, no one could sleep. Erwin had gone over the plans with everyone, and they all knew what to do tomorrow. Erwin was in his bedroom, bandaging Levi. Hange was there to help, as the injuries were extensive and need care. Levi had already been seen to, but they were being overly concerned as they changed the bandages.

"I'm fine, I've had worse." Levi sighed, reminding them of the scars all over his body.

"Yes, but you have lost quite a bit of blood. It's too much of a worry for me to sit back and watch you get worse." Erwin spoke softly, eyeing the stitches Levi did to himself earlier.

"How do you feel? And I mean your body. Please don't say you're fine, again, Levi." Hange tried again.

"If you must know, I feel like shit. All of the stitches sting, my shoulder with the burns are sore, and I think my leg is acting up again." Levi finally gave in.

"What about your ribs?" Hange inquired, as they took notes.

"Hurts to breathe, but I'm used to it. It's not the first time I had a broken rib."

"Well, your wounds from a week ago are fully healed. Maybe the titan gene is working over time to heal you. Your wounds already look better, and it's only been six hours." The scientist noted, but they didn't want to give the captain the go ahead just yet.

"But, even with that fast healing, I don't know if you should still go on the rescue mission."

"I am going, and that's final. Even if you say no, I will sneak my way outside and go. And don't think I have ways to get over a damn wall." Levi glared, still being stubborn.

"Levi, I don't want to see you die in front of me. If you are not physically able, then you have to remain behind. Mikasa is your second in command, she can do the job." Erwin said with a stern voice, finally voicing his opinion.

"And you don't think I don't want the same with you? If you die, and I'm not there, I can never forgive myself for it. I can't stand the thought of being without you, especially when you were locked up. I was an utter mess without you. At least with me in the field, I will make sure you or anyone else close to me doesn't die." Levi growled back.

"Why are you insisting to go so badly? You're never this defiant with me." Erwin commented.

"My instincts are screaming to go. Whatever happens tomorrow, it's going to be bad, Erwin. And I can't sit back like a fucking wife, anxiously waiting for your return. I know my body, I have been pushed to the brink and back, I know what I can and can't do. And I know I can do this." Levi stood his ground.

Erwin flinched at the mention of wife, his mind briefly went to the girl he could have had as a wife but let her go.

"Your body can't keep up this up forever Levi, you're getting up there in age." The Commander scowled.

"Yeah? And you're sixteen years older than me, old man. You're old enough to be my father, and you're pulling the getting old card on me? Bullshit! I should be using it on you!" Levi spat back.

"But I don't pull reckless moves to the point of near death, Corporal."

"That's my fucking job, _Commander_. You don't fight in the front lines, always taking the risks involved in this. You always had _pawns_ to move as you please like a King on a chessboard. If I'm supposed to be the Queen, I have to take risks as your most powerful piece. I can at least walk head high and say I am ready for death if it meant you or anyone in my squad survived."

"You made a promise to me, Levi." Erwin glared, his voice dark.

"And I can't hold that promise! What's the point of me being here, then, if I can't take risks? You know above anyone else, it is better to have one person be the sacrifice over the lives of many. Or are you actually forgetting your position and willing to throw away lives just so I can live? Am I worth the entire Survey Corp?"

"Don't you dare question my position, _corporal._ And for the record, you mean everything to me! Don't you think that for one second I have to force myself not to put you above anyone else in the field? Do you not understand I have to force myself not to drop everything and focus on you? But when you pull moves like you did today, I cannot ignore it! You say you can't stand the thought of being without me, well it's the same for me, too!"

Silence filled the room. Hange remained perfectly still during the entire ordeal, feeling very uncomfortable and anxious. They couldn't exactly leave them, but they couldn't add an input without sparking a worse argument. After a moment of silence, Hange put the clipboard down on the bedside table, gaining full attention from both men.

"Look, both of you. I'm not taking any sides, but I am going to say something. I can see both sides, and you both have a point. However, this needs to be addressed. Levi, a while ago you scolded Mikasa to stop pulling a Yeager. Well, now I'm going to say the same thing. Stop pulling a Yeager."

At that, Levi looked away, his pride hurt.

"Erwin, calm your nuts. Maybe you need to bust one, because I haven't seen you like this in all the years I have known you. I noticed earlier today when you both walked in to meet the queen, and there was sexual tension in the air. I don't know if that's playing a part in here, or not, but I'm just saying what I observed."

Both men wouldn't look at Hange. They were too embarrassed, and they suddenly felt stupid. When no one spoke, Hange picked up the clipboard and their bag, leaving behind the extra bandages, as Levi wasn't done.

"Now, I'm going to leave, and let you guys talk or romp it out. I'll come in and check on you guys to make sure you're both alive and calmed down an hour before dawn." With that, Hange left them alone in the bedroom.

Levi was staring at the bed, realizing it was different than before.

"You got a bigger bed." He commented, trying to break the awkward silence. He didn't see a sly smirk on the commander's face.

"The better to fuck you with, my dear."

Levi blushed, feeling hot all over just from those words. He rarely heard Erwin swear at all.

"Are you really pulling the wolf from Red Riding Hood?" Levi looked at blue eyes curiously.

"Yes, yes I am."

"If you're the wolf, does that mean I'm Red Riding Hood?"

"I suppose it does. And, is the big bad wolf going to have his meal tonight?" Erwin was suddenly playful as he leaned over, making the short captain lean back until he was down on the bed.

"Depends. Are you going to allow me on the rescue mission tomorrow?" Levi smirked coyly.

"You're going to deny the big bad wolf his meal over that?"

"Maybe."

Blue eyes darkened with a mix of lust and authority. Erwin crawled on top of the smaller body, enjoying the sight of the usually fearless captain squirm a little. His eyes caught sight of the silver chain around his neck for the first time. Erwin had been curious earlier about the pendant earlier, but he didn't get the chance to inquire about it.

"Where did you get that? It looks like silver."

"It was my mother's that Kenny kept. I found it in my old room with a note saying it's my graduation gift in succeeding him. It used to have paintings of her and my father, but they were in poor condition and I couldn't make out faces so I removed them." Levi explained.

"So you still don't know about your family history?" Erwin blinked, knowing that this had been bothering the captain for a while now.

"I do now, but I don't care anymore. I found a diary that was my mother's in the attic. She fell in love with a man who was already married, and the fool was too much of a coward to end his unhappy marriage to be with her. When someone in his family found out she was pregnant, they threatened to have her killed. So she fled to the Underground City to ensure I lived."

Levi didn't seem at all sad or hurt about it. This troubled Erwin, for if something wasn't being shown on the surface, then he was hiding it inside. He leaned down to kiss the pale forehead.

"I'm sorry to hear that. The drama of nobles is always overshadowed with incidents like that."

Levi blinked, confused, staring into those eyes while their foreheads rested against each other. A pale hand cupped a smooth cheek.

"Why are you sorry? It happened a little more than thirty years ago."

"Because, I can sympathize. I have witnessed such things in my time growing up in the inner city." Erwin kissed over the pale face.

"It doesn't bother me, honest. I am more focused on the future, the past is the past. There is nothing beneficial to me to dwell on it. The future and present are more important."

"Why the future? The future is nothing without the past. We cannot plan for the future without first learning about what happened in the past." Erwin frowned.

"Because...I dream of your future. That humans one day overcome the titans. And I want to see it come true. But most of all, I want to be by your side when it comes true." Levi wrapped his arms around broad and strong shoulders.

"Keep hold of that dream. It's a good one to strive for. Tell you what, if you can handle me taking you roughly, then I'll let you come on the mission. But, promise me that you take it a little easier." Erwin suggested.

Levi frowned a little, but nuzzled into the neck, inhaling the scent that was Erwin. He was eager to finally have Erwin like this. He pulled the other into a heated kiss, his silent agreement to the deal.

=3=

Death: Okay! This chapter was a little hard for me to write. I had a hard time to figure out how exactly Eren gets kidnapped. And I was like, no what, I'll just make it bold as fuck and go from there.

And, anyone want to see their love making? I ended it here because I honestly don't know if having that scene would be good for the story? But if people want to read that, I'll add it in the next chapter.

Please leave a review~


	18. The Rescue Part One

Death: Forgive the wait, I had a bit of writer's block about a certain point beyond here in the story. I couldn't write while I was struggling on a key part of the story. Now I have decided, and I'm back in action.

 **Chapter Eighteen** The Rescue Part One

=3=

Levi felt his pulse quicken, his breath hitch, his heart ramming against his chest. Erwin wasn't being rough, he was being slow and sensual for their first time. This was new to Levi, it was foreign, and yet he was excited.

His stomach tightened in anticipation. While he wished for the man on top of him to hurry up and pound him mercilessly, he was anxious to play along. Never in his life did someone take their time to pleasure him before the main course.

No one bothered to think about teasing his body to the point of insanity before taking his ass. And Erwin was doing just that. The man was driving him to the edge with the damn _teasing_ it almost _hurt._

"Erwin...!" Levi gasped when a nip to his inner thigh had him squirming.

Intense blue eyes bore into the captain, and for some reason he forgot how to _breathe._ Was this what the difference was between making love and just plain sex? If so, he would take this any day with Erwin.

"Why...why so slow?"

"Because," Erwin drawled as if it was the most obvious answer. "I want our first time memorable. I promise, next time I'll satisfy your animalistic needs. But tonight, I'm going to make you beg."

 _Oh fuck that's hot._

Levi held back a whimper when a hand started exploring between his legs. He squirmed, which was so unlike him he wondered if he was acting like a blushing virgin on his first time. Erwin bit down harshly on his thigh, earning a startled yelp of pleasure filled pain.

"Don't hold back your noises, corporal. I want to hear that voice of yours."

 _We're playing that game, are we?_

"And if I refuse, sir? What will my punishment be, commander?" Levi managed to put on a poker face and somehow didn't falter from the hungry expression the other man sent him.

"I'll make sure you don't come tonight. You won't get release, even after I empty myself inside of you to the brim." Erwin's voice, which was now dark, showed that he will make this threat come true.

 _Oh shit oh shit ohshitshitshitshit._

Levi practically melted at the idea. Who knew that the most straight cut men, Commander of the Survey Corp, was so lewd? And while a part of him wanted to experience this, he couldn't hold back the whimpers, moans and cries as Erwin continued his exploration.

He managed to find weak spots the captain never knew he had before, like right underneath his calf of the leg he still had feeling in. Another was a pressure point right above his hip bone. For some reason that revealed the most intense reaction from him.

He could feel those eyes on him, marveling as Levi arched his back like a cat in heat, as he mewled and yowled depending on the amount of pressure Erwin was applying. His skin was flushed, his eyes dazed and glossy, and his mind was shattered from the ministrations. His chest hurt from lack of air, as he apparently forgot the basic human instinct to live.

When he calmed down from his high, taking deep breaths and his entire body _shaking_ from the aftermath, he realized with shock that he came. He didn't know until after, with his stomach covered with his own cum.

He came without his cock being touched. He came without being entered. Never in his life did that ever happen.

"You...how..." Levi gasped, still in shock as his member throbbed, still half hard.

At his loss for words, Erwin smirked victoriously.

"Everyone has weak spots. And with the right amount if pressure, whether it be under my finger, or between my teeth, can undo anyone."

 _I landed the devil himself, didn't I?_

"Would you like to end it here?" There was a glint in those eyes Levi did not like.

"You did that on purpose." Levi accused, earning a chuckle. "And I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I'm still hard. I have a lot of stamina when it comes to this."

"You want me inside that bad? Well, I can't deny you, when you present yourself like _that_." Erwin referred to the lewd position Levi was in.

The captain had his legs spread out, his hips raised just enough to show off his entrance. Lust was heavily emanating from pale blue grey eyes while he bore a devilish smirk. Levi didn't have to know this did things to the commander above him, when the other man's hard length throbbed against his thigh through the pants.

"Now take off your clothes, commander. It's rude when I'm the only one nude in this love making of ours. Wouldn't you agree, sir?"

"Well, since you asked so sweetly, corporal."

Levi watched with hungry eyes, seeing Erwin without clothes for the first time. His mind went crazy for the muscular build of Erwin's torso. Despite his age, he was strong and youthful in appearance. And then he laid eyes on the other man's length.

 _Oh shit he's big. He's bigger than anyone I've had._

Levi visibly shuddered at the thought of it inside him all the way, stretching his ass more than he thought possible. It also gave him ideas, old fantasies from his own youth resurfaced.

"You have no idea how much I want to act out my sexual fantasies right now." Levi breathed out, his mouth suddenly dry.

"Oh? Tell me about them. We can try them out later."

The captain gulped.

"My mouth being mercilessly fucked until I choke on cum."

Levi noticed how Erwin twitched at the mental image.

"Go on..."

"And another one is a roleplay of master punishing the servant by being tied up and then used from sunset to sunrise. And I'm not allowed to come until the sun rose."

"You're full of surprises, Levi. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised. I have one dark fantasy you might enjoy sometime later."

That got his attention.

"What devious and delicious fantasies do you have?"

Erwin leaned forward, nearly on top of the short captain. Teeth nipped at a pale neck, while hips thrusted into Levi's, and a hot thick member brushed against his entrance. Levi yelped at the feel of that powerful thrust.

"We play the role of our ranks. I ask nicely for a fuck. Little corporal refuses, and the commander pulls rank and forces himself on the corporal. After some time, the corporal comes back begging for more. Essentially the little corporal becomes the commander's personal slut."

 _I definitely landed the devil incarnate._

Despite how this wasn't his cup of tea, Levi found himself excited at the idea Erwin presented to him.

"Oh fuck...Erwin, I need you." The corporal mewled.

For the rest of the night they enjoyed their first love making. Erwin had it last well into early morning. They collapsed seconds before Hange walked in, and without missing a beat they checked over Levi's injuries much to his horror.

"The fuck, Hange? We're not even dressed!"

"And your point is...? I don't care about seeing naked people. I have no problem with it. I'm not going to judge you."

"You have no sense of decency, do you?"

"By the way, you're well endowed Levi. You're a lot bigger than I imagined."

"HANGE"

"So which of you is top? Give me details! Everyone has made bets, already. I bet on Erwin on top."

"JUST STOP ALREADY"

=3=

Despite how exhausted they were, the managed to appear as if they hadn't had rounds of sex the entire night without sleep. Erwin was able to show off as the perfect commander after a quick shower, washing away the heavy scent of sex and dried sweat from his hair.

Levi on the other hand, he was amazed he could still walk.

He didn't even bother hiding anything. He didn't brag, but he didn't confirm or deny to any questions his squad thew at him. At some point Levi grew annoyed when other people outside his squad started asking questions.

By then Levi lost his patience and started cussing at anyone who so much as looked at him weird. He even had some poor unfortunate souls clean from top to bottom before they even got their breakfast.

At that point everyone avoided him altogether. Which for some reason put him in an even fouler mood than before. He didn't want to be left alone, he wanted everyone to stop putting their noses where it didn't belong. His love life was one of those things he kept secret.

Even though everyone knows he was with the commander.

Still, that doesn't mean he's going to tell anyone details. This was private information, only for between himself and Erwin. Though Hange will now have to be an exception, as they didn't care about seeing them naked and had just finished a full night of love making.

Just after dawn they charged through a gate for their rescue mission.

Levi led his squad, in the center behind Erwin. The plan was to spread out, but remain close within sight. This formation was tighter knit than usual, which ran the risk of being a bigger target for titans. But this wasn't a scouting mission, this was a search and rescue.

Erwin directed them in the direction where Ylmir was last seen headed until she disappeared among trees. The forest was fast approaching, and Levi tensed. He did not enjoy the idea of the entire Survey Corp enter the forest at once, too many possibilities of their plan going wrong. But he trusted the commander's judgment.

The pace slowed down just enough to maneuver through the trees. Erwin raised an arm, signalling for the squad behind him take to the air. Levi gave the command, and without looking back he launched into the trees. He didn't reach too high, preferring to keep the ground within sight, all the while eyes surveyed for any signs of their objective.

"There!" Mikasa spotted their target first.

Levi looked up to see Eren among the branches some twenty meters away. Levi slowed his pursuit, suddenly a bad feeling churned in his gut. His squad caught on to watch his movements, and to their confusion they too slowed down.

"Why aren't we going faster!?" Mikasa was aggravated.

"This is too easy." Was all Levi said, and just as he finished they could hear Eren in the distance as he yelled.

"IT'S A TRAP! RUN!"

The squad had just enough time to prepare when Ylmir swung down from above in her titan form. Levi's squad scattered, preferably to remain out of her reach. Just as the Special Forces Squad cleared out of her way, two other squads ambushed her, allowing Levi and his group to stay focused on Eren. They looked back to see the Armored Titan running at fall speed with Eren trapped on his back by a cage of flesh.

 _So the Colossal Titan can create mounds of flesh when it can't transform? Saves us having to deal with it at full strength._

Levi sped faster, urging his squad to do the same. Despite its sheer size and weight, the Armored Titan had just enough speed to clear through the forest before the Special Forces Squad could catch up. Levi gritted his teeth in annoyance, before he whistled for his horse. His squad did the same, and within a short time they were racing after on horseback.

Erwin and the rest of the Survey Corp had intervened the Armored Titan's path, cutting off his escape. Reiner changed course, but didn't get the chance to get very far when titans swarmed from all around. Levi turned to his squad with clear orders.

"Ignore the titans unless you're in danger. Keep focus on Eren!"

"Yes, captain!" They chorused.

When they drew near, the squad were in the air again. They used the titans to climb, mindful of hands and teeth aimed their way. The Armored Titan roared, as it fought off titans that clamped their mouths on his arms and legs. To the squad's luck, the majority of the titans didn't pay any mind on the humans. Just like how before with the Female Titan was swarmed, the titans were focused mainly upon the Armored Titan.

Unfortunately, these titans can't get a good grip on the armor. Teeth scraped, unable to keep biting. At some point the Armored Titan thrashed his powerful arms to throw them off. But even if he was free for a few brief moments, he was swarmed once more. The number of titans increased dramatically, and despite using them to get close to Eren, the squad was pushed back when the titans were thrown back.

"Bgarment!" Connie shouted, gaining the other boy's attention to peer out of the hole of caged flesh.

"Was everything a lie? Everything you told us, your wish to drive them back, and the bond we all had, was that a lie!?" Jean angrily took down a titan that tried to chomp on him, eyes blazing as he glared at his former comrade.

Bertoldt answered, but his voice was too weak to be heard over the rush of titans and the Armored Titan's roar.

"Keep talking to him. I'll distract the Armored Titan." Levi instructed, before changing position to be in front of Reiner.

The moment he was within sight of the former scout, eyes trained on him. Unlike Annie, who learned the hard way not to underestimate him, Reiner knew him well enough to predict his moves. What Levi was counting on instead was his speed. Breathing in, he cleared his mind of all distractions. When he breathed out, he dodged an arm swung at him and unleashed his full potential.

He spun circles around the Armored Titan, using the other titans as means to get around when his gear couldn't penetrate rough the thick armor. When a tall titan came up, Levi used it to gain height to launch above Reiner's head. And before the shifter could react Levi spun down on the face, aiming both blades at the eyes.

The Armored Titan roared in anger, his eyes momentarily taken out. Levi tried to pull back and release the blades to remain stuck in the eyes. But his momentum must have been too hard on his gear, for one of the blades wouldn't let go. He pressed the trigger several times to no avail, and panic was starting to set in.

"Captain!" He heard Connie yell out. Levi glanced over to see him attempting to come closer to help.

"Stay back!" Levi ordered, seeing an arm swung at the young man from behind.

From below, Armin witnessed the whole thing. Without can second thought he went into the air quickly. Levi saw the short blonde pushing Connie out of harms way, the pair crashed onto the back of another titan. He watched, relieved they were quick to regain their footing and avoid a titan biting down upon them.

With them safe Levi pulled with all his might to free the stubborn blade. He pushed with his legs, and used his weight to help pull. He managed to pull it out by a few inches when suddenly a hand gripped his uniform and pulled him away. Levi struggled, quickly replacing one blade and held the other, which was surprisingly not broken. One look at it though he could see it had dulled to be useless.

Levi stared into an eye he had just pierced and felt his heart stop.

 _He's going to eat me._

Chills filled him like cold water drowning him. His suspicions confirmed as the Armored Titan opened his mouth. Levi frantically struggled with all of his might, he tried to turn and cut away his uniform. But his arms couldn't bend in the way he needed them to, and he couldn't go from above and behind his head out of fear of cutting himself.

"You're not like them! You're human, too! You're not like them Reiner!" Levi shouted, hoping to get some sense into the Armored Titan.

But Reiner didn't seem to care. The mouth was closer. Suddenly the world slowed. It was as if everything was happening in slow motion, and the sound was turned off. Levi couldn't hear anything beyond his own heartbeat, which was loud in his ears like a heavy drum.

 _Live. You have to live. Live! Live, Levi!_

How did Eren know what was going on?

And then Levi watched in horror as Erwin took the bite. Teeth clamped down on his right arm, and the commander was yelling. Levi felt a surge of white hot anger pour through. He wasn't paying attention to the words, and he felt the grip on his uniform lessoned to where the fingers held mostly his cloak and barely the jacket underneath.

Levi slipped out of the cloak, free of the garment and the Armored Titan. With a shrill cry of a bird of prey, Levi unleashed relentless attacks upon the Armored Titan. He wasn't aware of his eyes glowing yellow, taking on more of a birds pupil than a humans. Even as the dull blade broke, and unable to replace the hilt, he continued the barrage of attacks on the eyes, replacing one blade each time he stuck one into them.

By the time he was done he had used all of his blades, all of them pierced an eye. Now blind, and enough of a distraction for him not to defend his back, Erwin had struck Bertoldt, effectively freeing Eren. Levi wasn't aware of this happening, as he was still too pissed off. He was dodging fists as the Armored Titan blindly swung, roaring as he attacked.

Levi didn't snap back into reality until someone tackled him and pulled him to the ground in means of preventing him from being eaten by a titan behind him. Levi screeched and kicked, squirming to get free of the hold on him. When he kneed his captor in the gut, Levi stood up, about to resume attacking the Armored Titan. And then he caught sight of Erwin, back on his horse, safe.

Just like that the sound came back, and Levi felt sick to his stomach.

An arm grabbed hold of him and they ran out of the immediate danger of being trampled. He glanced over to realize it was Armin who had tackled him. Levi caught sight of his mare, whistled, and directed them towards her. Stella snorted when she stopped, throwing her head back. Levi jumped on, quickly pulling Armin up behind him and raced off.

Levi caught sight of Mikasa on her horse with Eren holding tight around her middle. Levi directed his horse to move closer, dodging outreached hands along the way. Soon his squad was reunited, but during their escape they had separated from the main group. Levi urged his horse faster to take the lead, as he caught sight of the rest of the Survey Corp not too far away.

However, somehow the Armored Titan was able to somewhat see. He couldn't escape the swarm, but he threw titans in the direction of the Survey Corp. The titans he threw landed between the Special Forces Squad and the main group. To make matters more difficult, Ylmir had emerged from the trees. She caught sight of the squad and came at them full speed.

Taking a chance, Levi led them in the danger zone of titans crashing on top of them. Armin instructed which way to go, eyes trained behind them. The titans that were thrown turned their attention onto Ylmir, and thus she had to deal with a swarm of her own. Then without warning she joined in at Titan Throwing.

"Look out!" Armin warned just in time.

A titan landed in front of them. Levi had enough time to pull his horse into an abrupt stop. Stella rolled her eyes and reared as they almost crashed into the titan. One of the horses behind them had skidded too fast and tripped, rolling forward. Levi glanced over in horror to see Connie's leg trapped underneath his dead mount.

"Connie!" Sasha pulled up, leapt down and pulled him out.

"Any injuries?" Levi breathed, his throat dry.

"I sprained my ankle." The short boy hobbled, as Sasha helped him up on her horse before she sat behind him.

"What do we do? Reiner is still throwing titans and she can't be distracted for much longer." Jean pointed at Ylmir.

"How tired are the horses?" Levi scanned each one of them with scrutiny. He noticed Mikasa's horse was the worst out of all of them.

"Armin, sit behind Jean. Eren, switch to my horse. We need to move fast." Levi instructed, as an idea came to him.

"What's the plan?"

"No time to explain just move!" Levi snapped, and the two boys switched. The moment Eren was on his horse, Levi barely gave him enough time to hang on before he clicked his tongue and they were off.

Levi sent off a green flare just before he led his squad back into the trees. As they ran as fast as their horses could, Levi struggled with the straps of his gear to remove it. Tanned hands joined in to help, and when the straps were freed Levi let his gear fall onto the ground. Stella snorted, grateful of less weight on her back.

"What was that for!?" Jean yelled, as his horse jumped over the gear.

"I was too low on gas and I'm out of blades. Now, we keep moving as fast as we can through the trees. Do not engage any titans unless we absolutely have to. Our objective is to regroup with the rest of the Survey Corp." Levi gave them the plan.

"What if we can't regroup?" Mikasa inquired, hoping there was a back up plan.

"Then we keep going to the gate we came out of. Have your signals ready when I tell one of you to send one off." The short captain had already decided on a Plan B.

Several minutes later they cleared the forest. Levi instructed Armin to send off a green flare. The blonde did as he was told. Levi examined the sky for any responses. His heart sank when a minute went by and no flares went off to indicate where the main group was located.

"What do we do, captain?" Eren bit his lip.

"We keep going for the gate." Levi said, slowing down the pace to a slow canter. All of the horses were exhausted now, and thus far they haven't come across any titans yet.

"So, what happened to you, captain? I heard a bird scream fill the air." Sasha curiously tried to brighten the mood.

"...I don't know myself. It's all a blur to me." Levi answered honestly.

"I think he became a titan without actually transforming. His movements were similar to a bird, and when I tackled him out of the way of being eaten, he was still in a panic. I don't know what snapped you out of it, but you were back to normal like nothing happened." Armin described, peering over Jean's shoulder.

"But how can he become a titan without transforming? That doesn't make any sense!" Jean was lost on the choice of words.

"I think what he meant to say was, he transformed mentally. Although he didn't physically transform, he had the mentality of a titan. Or perhaps more specifically, a bird of prey attacking the most dangerous enemy of that moment. Even I heard the screech over the trampling of titans." Mikasa elaborated further.

"I can say what I remember the most. I heard Eren telling me to live. I had accepted my death for a brief second when I heard his voice in my head. Right after that I witnessed Reiner biting Erwin's arm. And my resolution changed to protect Erwin at all costs. Anything after that, I can't remember." Levi kept his gaze forward, as he felt all eyes on him.

"Eren might have used his titan controlling powers upon instinct. You might not have heard, but someone screamed at you to escape, and it caused a wide spread panic among the rest of the Survey Corp." Sasha recalled with clarity.

"What brought you back to reality?" Eren asked.

"Seeing Erwin. I remember getting back up, and I saw him on his horse, alive and ordering the retreat. All I could feel was a sense of relief of seeing him alive and kicking. And then I remembered we were in the middle of a swarm and had to escape the danger zone." Levi explained softly, as the others strained to listen.

Their thoughts were interrupted by a familiar yell. Heads turned to see Ylmir emerging from the forest charging after them. Levi clicked his tongue, kicking his mare's sides. In an instant the squad was in full gallop. But their mounts were on their last burst of speed.

"Connie, send off a black flare." Levi said out of habit.

The black smoke went up, leaving a trail and rough location of where they were. An echo caught their attention to see another black flare in answer a couple of miles to their right. With renewed hope Levi turned the squad towards the second flare.

"What about Ylmir?"

"Do not engage! We have no way to maneuver in the air." Levi instructed.

"She's closing in!" Connie was in near panic.

"Do not engage!" Levi repeated with more sternness in his voice. He didn't have to look back to see her gaining on them.

"Captain!"

"Sir, she's almost upon us!"

"Spread out! And whatever you do, do not engage!" Levi was firm with his orders.

The squad spread out, just far enough for Ylmir to reconsider who to target first. She hadn't seen Eren switch to a different horse, and for a moment she was confused where he was. It was enough for her to slow down a little, granting the Special Forces Squad to close in on the last hill where the answering smoke originated from.

The hill was steep, and the horses had a rough time running full speed. Even so, somehow they reached the top and carefully raced down the other side. They caught sight of other scouts among the trees. Realization dawned on the squad, and eyes stared at Levi in awe. They were all wondering how he knew they were leading Ylmir into a trap.

She caught on, however, recognizing the same plan they had set up for Annie. She bellowed in fury, her eyes found her target and she raced after the captain's horse at an incredible speed. She was a blur of tanned skin and dark hair as she gained the horse, almost upon them enough to reach out.

"Do not engage!" Levi instructed as his squad drew closer.

"Eren!" Mikasa screamed in panic.

"Captain!"

"Behind you!"

=3=

Death: Aaaaaaaaaannnnnd there's part one folks! Looks like I'm back in my usual cliffs hangers that torture my readers. The thing I'm most known for.

So, what do you guys think? I know I didn't go into full detail of the yaoi scene, but I hope what I did have was enough for you guys!

With that, please leave a review!


	19. The Rescue Part Two

Death: And here is part two!

 **Chapter Nineteen** The Rescue Part Two

=3=

The Special Forces Squad was in a panic, and with good reason. Eren held on tightly to the short captain, his heart racing a hundred miles. Levi grit his teeth, and he urged his horse for more speed. Stella snorted, fighting the reins. He slapped her hindquarters hard, startling Eren. The slap had the desired effect, and the mare pushed forward with her last burst of speed, breathing harder than ever before.

A hand reached out to them. Fingers just barely grasping around Eren and Levi.

Somehow they breached the forest. And within seconds of being grabbed awaiting scouts swung in from above with yells of valor. Someone sliced off the hand that almost caught them, and tips of the fingers brushed against one side of horse and riders. Levi shivered of the feel of fingers against his leg, but kept his focus on dodging trees.

"Special Forces Squad, stick with me! Leave Ylmir to the ambush!" Levi instructed, as his squad regrouped beside him in a close knit formation.

"But shouldn't we be fighting her, too!?"

"They can take care of themselves. Our main objective is to protect Eren at all costs." Levi reminded them.

"But I'm not worth the sacrifices!" Eren was ready to burst, and the captain can feel his body shaking.

 _Is he shaking out of fear, or anger?_

"This is a rescue mission, nothing more, nothing less. We came without weapons of Hange's creations, for they would have slowed us down. And for the moment I am incapable of fighting, so I am in need of everyone here to do their jobs and not engage unless we have no other choice."

"But..." Eren was trying to find the words to argue.

"Accept the sacrifices for what they are, and mourn later. If I allowed all of you to engage as you wish, Eren will become unprotected. And what would happen if we are overtaken with no one to fight them off? Then the sacrifices would have been for naught. All of those lives lost this day will be useless, because we failed our objective. Failing our objective would mean we failed humanity altogether in the loss of Eren."

His words cut deep, cold and unforgiving. But, they now saw his point. And with grim expressions, his squad accepted his orders. All except Eren. Levi felt the teen lean his head forward in defeat. He wasn't sure if anyone could see, but the captain could feel the tears seeping through his uniform. Levi felt his chest tighten at the action, not used to the titan shifter to be so emotional in an expedition. Anger, fury, he was used to. Tears of defeat and loss was something else entirely.

Halfway through the forest other scouts joined them in the air. They said nothing, as they directed the squad towards the reunion where the commander had given. On the way there had been few titans. The few that sprung on them were easy to take down, and the Special Forces Squad didn't have to take care of them, much to Levi's relief.

Their pace slowed down as they breached the treeline. Ahead Levi could see the Survey Corp waiting for their arrival. At the sight of the Special Forces Squad, the scouts cheered and whistled as relief swept over them. Levi pulled his horse to a trot as they drew near. At the front he caught sight of Erwin, still on his pale grey horse, and despite the missing arm he still had the appearance of a commanding leader.

When he pulled Stella to a stop beside Erwin, Levi felt his heart sink upon reading the man's face.

 _He's disappointed in me._

Pale gray eyes stared at the missing limb, which he could see was bandaged. And still Erwin wore his uniform proudly, despite the missing sleeve that revealed the gruesome reminder that their commander was still human, no matter how great of a man he was. Guilt ate at Levi, and it struck him that the loss of that arm was partially his fault.

 _He came between me and Reiner. He gave up his arm to save me, when I was ready to accept death._

Wordlessly Levi moved forward, his horse snorted at slight irritation of being separated from the grey horse, but walked on without further objection. The air shifted around them, and those who noticed were the Special Forces Squad and Hange. Brown eyes followed after the captain with silent worry.

The tension in the air intensified when someone spoke up for the captain.

"He switched me to his horse, despite how I'm a burden. He removed his damaged gear so we could go faster. He kept us all from launching in the air, on the need of protecting me in the most dire situation. If he hadn't, we might not even be here! And you look at him like _that_ upon our return?" Eren, no longer crying, but the emotional meltdown he had earlier strained his voice, as he bitterly glared at their commander. Levi, shocked, pulled his horse to a stop, but dared not look back.

"Eren..." Mikasa urged her horse between Stella and the commander's.

"He risked the idea of losing his entire squad if things went wrong just because of your set objective! He even made it a point to us this squad is the last ditch effort of sacrificial lambs to keep me alive! He's the only one who couldn't fight without gear, so he took the burden of my survival, even if it meant losing his entire squad again! And you dare give him that look, as if he failed? Do you honestly blame him over what happened earlier!?" Eren ignored the hushed tones of his sister and Armin.

"You know, forgive me for being out of line, commander, but that was a bit ungrateful." Jean added, before Eren could resort to yelling at the top of his lungs and say something very stupid, something he would never take back.

A hushed silence filled the air. Eyes darted from the commander to Eren and Levi. The tension in the atmosphere was so thick, it was about to snap under pressure. Hange was the first to move, noting the guarded look on Erwin's face.

"I will temporarily be taking the position of commander while Erwin heals. Until further notice, everyone will be following my orders once more. And for my first act, I name Corporal Levi on temporary relieve of his duties from the Survey Corp. I am not suspending him, for he has done no wrong but his duty. However, the queen has informed us that she is in need of his services. Until he is needed again, I name his second in charge of the Special Forces Squad."

Gasps and whispers spread. It was one thing to be named as temporary commander, it was another to pull rank without permission. However, many felt that this was needed. If Hange didn't act now, there would have been a severe argument that left the Survey Corp torn. And a decrease in morale was dangerous for their line of work.

"We make our heading to the gate in the next twenty minutes. And I request no one disturb Erwin or any members of the Special Forces Squad. In the meantime, keep a watch out for titans and other scouts." Hange instructed, and the whispering dispersed.

Everyone made way for the Special Forces Squad. Levi and Mikasa's horses were side by side, but it was clear which of them was taking initiative. She had the intentions of leading the squad as far away from Erwin as possible, so as to soothe over the harsh feelings that lingered from all sides. Dark grey eyes studied Levi now and then, but Mikasa couldn't get a good reading. His eyes were overshadowed by his bangs.

But even as his head hung in defeat, she could see his body was taught and ready to strike.

She wasn't the only one to notice. The worried look from Eren told her everything. He was behind the captain, and he could feel the muscles strained, as if debating whether or not to attack or take their time. Trying to cheer the mood, Eren gently tightened his hold around the captain. He felt the muscles spasm, as guarded walls went up between them.

"Hey, think we can have an outing with the gear tomorrow?" Eren suggested softly, placing his chin on a tiny shoulder.

Levi didn't answer.

"Eren, give him some space." Mikasa reached out with one hand to pull him onto her horse.

"But he needs us now more than ever." Eren frowned.

"Give him time alone. He knows where to find us when he needs us."

"You think I'm dangerous."

Stella stopped the moment he spoke, when he tugged on the reins just enough for her to pause. The tone in his voice was soft, but emotion in it was intense. It was hard for Mikasa to figure out if he felt fury or betrayal. She didn't respond, as she felt any answer she would have given would upset him more, which was answer enough for the short captain.

He was about to say more when suddenly screams filled the air. Everyone looked up in time to see a tree flying their way. In an instant the scouts were in a panic. The Special Forces Squad broke into a gallop, but with everyone blindly running out of the way the group separated. Levi glanced around quickly, and to his annoyance, he couldn't locate any members of his squad.

As more trees were thrown, Levi maneuvered skillfully to break free of the massive group. By this point though, the majority figured out the best chances of survival was to scatter. In the midst of it all, two familiar titans emerged from the trees with a deafening roar. Levi looked over his shoulder, and realized it hadn't been them who threw the trees, but a different titan hiding in the treeline.

 _Who else is there? If it was Bertoldt, he would be towering the trees._

It unnerved him to no end there was an unnamed enemy working alongside the three rogue scouts. And he couldn't name a suspect, for the numbers and names were all accounted for. Did this unknown come from a faction, or hiding in the shadows, bidding their time, all the while pulling the strings of these titan shifters?

That seemed more likely, for he couldn't see any of the three traitors as the brains of the group and lead them.

Reiner must have caught sight of Eren, for he bounded towards them. With a growl Levi finally broke away from a large group. Scouts shouted after him, but didn't follow when the Armored Titan was now almost on their tail, eyes only on Eren. Levi made a sharp turn when Reiner leapt forward, sliding on the ground with an arm reached out. Fingers were barely feet away from grasping them, and Levi had turned to enter the forest.

"What are you doing!? We can't separate from the others!"

"Their intentions are clear. They only want you. If I give them a game of hide and seek, they will focus less on the Survey Corp and more on us. This might give the scouts time to regroup and formulate a plan to intervene."

"And if they can't?"

"Relax. I've run from the Military Police for nearly all of my life. I have a few tricks up my sleeve to lose pursuers."

Levi hoped with all of his might his tricks will work against the titan shifters.

He bounded from forest to forest, choosing trees that were tall and placed close together. The Armored Titan couldn't fully keep up, with its broad shoulders and bulky body struggled to get through the trees. Ylmir was above, jumping branch to branch. But even she struggled when Levi freely changed direction at random and without a pattern to his methods.

At one point, when the horse showed signs of exhaustion titans swarmed from every which direction. Like before, they swarmed around Ylmir and Reiner. The one to fall back and out of sight first was the Armored Titan, being weighed down as titans pulled him down. It took a while longer for Ylmir to be overtaken.

When they cleared a forest did she finally slow down. One glance at her was enough to see she was being overcome with exhaustion. She didn't have the stamina to keep going, and she stopped, leaning against a tree. Levi kept his horse on the run until they were out of sight. They came upon a lonely, crumbling remains of a house. All that was left of it were a few walls.

Only then did Levi stop.

The moment he did, however, they heard rustling. Stella reared with a shrill cry when a titan on all fours burst through the bushes and trees that had claimed the crumbled building. Eren fell, and arms still around the captain, he pulled him down. They groaned on the ground, and watched in horror as the dark mare ran off and out of sight.

Eyes turned to the titan, and saw in shock to see it had some sort of saddle on its back. And sitting there, holding the reins, was a man with grey beard and hair. Yellow brown eyes studied them with curiosity through thin and round spectacles.

"Eren, if you would please come with me, you will find a lot of answers you seek." The man said.

"...Why do you look like my father? You...you can't be him, right?" Eren gulped, not moving from where he was.

"As I said, all answers will be given. However, I cannot take him with me. And he cannot remain a witness."

Pale blue gray gave away to bright yellow. With a shrill cry of a bird, Levi pulled out both knives from his pockets and leaped high in the air. Eren shouted, just as the strange titan on all fours attempted to bite Levi but missed.

A shot echoed the air, followed by a scream which turned into a roar.

=3=

Darkness was close at hand. Eren had managed to find a body of a dead scout. Somehow, the gear was undamaged with a decent amount of gas. He checked the other find, but the gear was too damaged to be used. He took the spare blades and gas cannisters for good measure, though.

He stood on top of the ruins, whistling with all of his might. Teal green eyes scanned all around with hope, some form of sign for a horse. After a few minutes, he found no movement, no sound. Defeated, Eren jumped down and made his way to the injured captain. It was late summer, and lately the nights have become colder.

"Still no sign of any horses. It's too dark to be setting off flares." He reported, biting his lip at the sight before him.

Levi was in bad shape. The cut on his forehead had reopened, and only recently did the bleeding stop. Dried blood covered half of his pale face, staining his uniform and ascot. And on one side was a gaping wound Eren had wrapped using his jacket. For a second he feared the worst when the captain did not move.

"Captain? Sir? Captain! Can you hear me?" Eren knelt beside him, reaching to feel for a pulse.

"I'm fine." A weak answer gasped out.

"No, no you're not fine. I've never seen you like this before. You were always so strong... and I was foolish to believe you wouldn't be in this state. Despite some titan gene in you, you don't have the same healing properties as I do." Eren nibbled his lip, referring to the gunshot wound that had already healed on his shoulder.

"I will be fine. I have one last order. In the morning, go. Go to the wall. Leave me behind." Levi dared not look at the titan shifter.

 _If I hold you down, I can't be of any use to your safety. It would be better if one of us at least made it alive._

"What are you saying? I can't leave you! You are humanity's strongest! Erwin needs you, your squad needs you! And your daughter, she hasn't had the chance to meet you yet! You would sacrifice yourself like this so selfishly, without even seeing her? What about making up with Erwin? You can't accept death without facing your regrets captain!" Eren held the short man close, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I have no regrets." Levi whispered.

"You can't say that! I know that's not the truth! You can't leave us like this..."

"You mean I can't leave you like this. You haven't followed my advice, soldier."

"I...I'm sorry. I tried, I tried really hard! And, I almost put it behind me. And then...and then I saw the look he gave you upon our return. I couldn't stay silent. Forgive me for standing up to you, but that was unfair of him!" Eren was shaking as he remembered what had transpired earlier.

"It's not your fault."

By this point Levi was struggling to remain awake. He thought over how he was injured. Levi was concerned he couldn't remember any of it. He looked up to the titan shifter, his voice hoarse.

"How did I end up like this...? The last thing I remember is being cornered by someone riding a titan."

"Huh? You don't remember?"

"Just tell me."

"Well, I think you transformed again. But it wasn't physical, as what Armin pointed out earlier. You moved like a bird, though. And your eyes changed. You attacked him, but we didn't know he had a gun on him. Even though he shot you, you kept moving like nothing happened."

"So how does that explain your wound?"

"He was going to shoot you in the head. His titan thing he was riding held you down, and I jumped in between. I transformed and threw them far away from us. I held you and carried you to the nearest shelter I could find. I must have been exhausted, for I didn't remain in my titan form for long after that. After doing the best with your wound, I sent off an emergency flare and searched around. I found bodies that have gone missing from one of our previous expeditions, and one of the gears was in good enough condition."

"No sign of horses?"

"No. I whistled for a good five minutes. Maybe in the morning we'll have a better time finding one. Or, if I can transform again, I can carry you to the wall." Eren dared not give up hope.

Levi didn't share the same thought. He closed his eyes, as the cold air numbed the pain. Even though these arms weren't the ones he wanted, he accepted their warmth. He just hoped this wasn't going to be a continuous thing between them during every mission, he remembered when the last time these arms held him was after he had done a heinous act in killing nine people.

Levi breathed in, and released, as darkness took him to a dreamless sleep.

The next morning, out of habit from living as a scout, Eren woke up before dawn. And to his amazement, when he checked the captain's wound, it was healed. In fact, all of his wounds from the last few days had fixed themselves overnight. Eren carefully checked the broken ribs he felt the previous day, and they were no longer broken.

 _Maybe his healing abilities don't take full effect unless he's on the verge of death?_

Eren will have to bring this theory to Hange later. He decided to remain as he was, and didn't wake the captain. Dark circles under his eyes, and his pale skin was sullen from over stress and lack of sleep. It wouldn't surprise him if Levi hadn't slept at all the night before last, the night before the rescue mission.

When the sun peeked into the sky did Levi began to stir. He was aware of the cold, crisp morning. Blue gray eyes opened, surprised to be still alive. And then he registered there was no more pain. He checked over his wounds in confusion.

"You might not have the same healing qualities I do, but yours kicks in when your life is in serious danger. At least, that's what I've concluded about this. Think Hange will be proud of me coming up with the theory?" Eren inquired with a big grin.

"Probably. Or shitty glasses will be pawing you, delighted to see the signs of turning you into a junior scientist." Levi snorted.

At that Eren laughed. Levi pulled away, as he slowly stood up. His bad leg acted up from the cold, but he was used to it. Levi straightened up and stretched, reminding the other of a cat. Eren stood up behind him, and began fiddling with the straps of his banged up gear.

"Keep that on. Better you to have the gear, than I, in case you need to get away." Levi refused to be a sole survivor if anything happened.

Eren reluctantly followed orders. He wasn't going to get on the captain's bad side.

They started their day by standing on top of the ruins and whistled. Some minutes later, Levi caught sigh of Stella racing toward them. To his surprise, there was also a horse behind her. It was riderless, and to his relief it didn't belong to his squad members or Erwin's pale grey. The two jumped down from the ruins and made their way towards the horses. Stella stopped short, and with excitement she nibbled Levi's hair.

"Oi. Stop that. You almost bit my hair off, girl." Levi pushed her nose away, and then scratched her neck.

"Whose horse is that?" Eren inquired, as he held the frightened animal's bridle.

"Don't know. It might have been out here for a while. But it still knows us, at least." Levi shrugged.

They settled on the saddles and made their way towards Wall Rose. Levi kept the pace at a leisurely trot, not worried just yet to be at full speed. If he was correct, once they cleared these hills they should be very close to the wall that was recently nearly destroyed. By the time it was around breakfast time for the scouts, they had the wall in sight. Seeing a gate, Levi felt the excitement rush through.

He clicked his tongue and Stella burst into a gallop, and the easily spooked horse behind her. As they drew closer, Levi sent off a green flare. Within seconds a green flare answered on top of the wall. Good, the Wall Garrison have kept good vigilance on Wall Rose since the scare of titans breaching it.

As they closed in, the gate was slowly opening. The gate didn't fully open, just enough for the two stranded scouts to run through on their mounts. As soon as they crossed into safety, they were met with cheers from Wall Garrison on duty. And joining them were the few civilians who woke up early every day.

Levi recognized one of the members of the second in command's squad come up to them when the horses pulled to a stop. The young man greeted them with a relieved smile, eyes wide in relief and awe.

"We sent a messenger to the palace and Survey Corp headquarters of your return." He said when he stood beside Stella.

"Where is Erwin currently located?" Levi inquired, hoping with all of his might the man had made it back safely.

"I believe Commander Erwin is in the palace in the inner city with Commander Hange."

"Thank you. We will be making our way there."

"Let us escort you." The soldier offered, and as much as Levi wished to refuse, he accepted.

It was better for Eren to be surrounded to drive back the people. They traveled relatively slow, not at all in a hurry. This only seemed to irritate Levi to no end. He kept his thoughts to himself as they arrived within the inner city by early noon. They were surprised to be met with cheers and open arms from Survey Corp, Wall Garrison, and citizens alike. In a matter of moments the Special Forces Squad was reunited.

"Erwin is anxiously waiting for your return. He wanted to come out himself, but Hange and the queen ordered him to be bedridden for the rest of the week." Mikasa informed them, her tired eyes glowing in relief.

"Hey what happened to you guys? You both look pretty bloodied up." Horse Face was the first to speak about the amount of blood stains over the two.

"It was..." Eren didn't get to finish when the captain cut him off.

"Let's just say we got into a bit of trouble. I'm still wrapping my head around we survived at all." Levi didn't feel comfortable to explain everything out in the open, surrounded by cheering citizens.

It didn't take long for them to reach the palace. And to their surprise, waiting in front of the doors beside Queen Historia, was none other than commanders Erwin and Hange. Levi felt relief and joy swell in his chest at the sight of Erwin. But he held back the urge to run into the man's arms. Instead, ignoring an offered hug from the queen when he dismounted, Levi marched straight up to Erwin.

Blue eyes held relief, remorse, and guilt.

Levi felt horrible, but he needed to make a point clear between them. And disciplining his lover in public be damned.

SMACK!

Levi swung from his left, making a point to hit Erwin's right side of his face. Cold pale gray eyes flashed dangerously. Very rarely did anyone who met the end of his fist remain silent. A red mark marred the perfect face, as the cheek began to swell. For a long moment no one moved.

Finally Erwin moved so his eyes were fixed upon the corporal.

"I owe you an apology, for yesterday. I wasn't mad at your actions, only that it seemed at that precious second you went back on our promise. I thought you gave up, ready for defeat." Erwin's voice was strained, eyes gave away for the briefest second he wanted to swing back, but he held a high amount of restraint.

"That doesn't mean you had to act so selfishly and pull a Yeager, _sir_." Levi snarled.

"I acted on what I thought was the right decision to snap you out of it."

"And you were almost eaten in the process. You put me above the lambs you lead and slaughter in each expedition you plan up. If you ever do that again, I will resign from the Survey Corp and start my position as royal guard early. I will not have the blood of your sacrifices on my hands."

And with that Levi strolled passed and entered the palace. It took a lot for him not to look back, to keep his back straight and chin held high. He will not appear weak in front of everyone. Not now, not ever.

As soon as he was well away from the front doors, Levi followed a random corridor and leaned against the wall. His body shook, as he breathed carefully. He hated being so harsh on Erwin, but he needed to make his point clear so as he didn't have to witness something like that ever again.

Levi became hyper aware someone followed him, their footsteps faint, and foreign to his ears. He turned, about to snap a dark comment, but stopped short. He didn't need to ask for a name the moment he laid eyes on her.

She was just barely a few inches taller than him. She had familiar curves in the Queen's Guard uniform, decent chest, dark hair flowing past tiny shoulders with wavy curls at the ends. Her skin was pale, mirror of his, and there was no mistaking eyes staring back at him with guarded curiosity.

 _She has Kenny's eyes. My eyes._

Hers were a little more rounded, more alike his uncle than his own in shape. And he realized why Kenny was always startled when he looked into his eyes, for it was like looking in a mirror. It was as if they met their own replicas, and the total lack of preparation to finally meet her Levi was speechless.

"I have been told you're my father. Didn't believe it until I saw you. Do you know where my mother is? And what was that about punching Commander Erwin like that? Not many people can actually get away with that, so you must be very close to him for not having consequences for punching a high officer."

Levi didn't know how to respond. His mind couldn't even think as he stared dumbfounded at his daughter.

=3=

Death: And that was part two! Felt it was a good enough place to end, because why not?

So without further ado, please leave a review!


	20. Ackerman Family Reunion

Death: And here is yet another chapter. Forgive the wait, the holidays have been stressful and other things needed to preoccupy my attention. And so here I am writing away the stress.

 **Chapter Twenty** Ackerman Family Reunion

=3=

For almost a week Levi was in a dark mood. His squad watched from afar, as they were allowed to do as they wished on a break. Hange had informed the whole of the Survey Corp that there would be no further plans of an expedition for a while. It was a means to allow Erwin to recover, as well as the surviving scouts. Including one very irritated corporal.

Levi now spent his days accessing the Queen's Guard, which was the reason why he was needed away from his scouting duties for a short period of time. He allowed his squad to linger, watching, as he needed fresh perspectives, and a means to show he wasn't favoring a certain recruit. Every now and then he brought in Jean and Sasha to help him if the recruits needed a demonstration or better fighting partners when he drilled them in sparring.

Today was sparring day. He eyed all of the recruits critically. Thus far he agreed with the queen's choice, though he had a few kinks to work out. The two recruits from the Military Police learned the hard way not to mouth off in front of him. The two from Wall Garrison needed some more training with strategies, and the two assassins in training were driving him up the wall crazy.

One of course, was his daughter. She excelled in everything he drilled them in. Lavena was nearly in match with his speed and power, the best at strategies, and was overall the best with the gear out of everyone. However, when it came to hand to hand combat, she refused to go all out. She held back, and this was what annoyed him the most. He needed to see her at her full potential, but no amount of drilling her would make her budge.

Then there was the youngest recruit, Isabeau Hawkins. Due to her first name being so close to a past he would rather forget, Levi simply addressed her as Hawkins. He found her annoying, as she had a knack of putting her nose where it shouldn't belong. He honestly felt she would be better off as a member of Hange's squad, with the way Hawkins inquired anything and everything.

However, her quick sense of direction in the field stopped him from sending her home. Levi was hoping because of her young age of thirteen, he could shape her up to become a much more mature soldier. As a plus, Hawkins never questioned his authority, unlike the two from the Military Police branch, as well as Lavena.

Who, once again, he began to realize was the bane of his very existence right now.

He glared as he watched her fighting off Jean. Levi had told him the night before that in the hand to hand combat spar to go all out. And reluctantly, Jean followed his instruction. However, much to Levi's disappointment, Lavena was _still_ holding back. His face was dark as he watched, completely ignoring the fact Hawkins was struggling and needed advice. He had been so into mentally slapping his daughter that he barely registered that three people from his squad stood around him until they spoke.

"You know, glaring isn't going to make her change." Mikasa commented, which the cold glare shifted to her.

"If you really want to push her to her limits, you can see about placing someone else in front of her." Armin added, thinking of Eren.

"Yeah, I could do it." The titan shifter was eager to go all out.

"Titan strength is not the answer for everything, Yeager." Levi huffed, returning his gaze at his daughter.

"Then what about sending Mikasa? She's the only one to rival you, she can easily corner her." Armin suggested a different option.

"Somehow I doubt he would gain the respect from the other recruits of sending in an outsider to test a Queen's Guard."

Everyone turned in surprise to see Erwin. He was rarely seen outside of his bedroom since he had been forced to remain as he healed. Today was his first day he was given the clear to walk around for some fresh air. He smiled a little, glad to see he could still sneak up on an assassin without getting caught.

"So, Levi, what are you going to do?" He was adding just enough pressure for the corporal to take action.

"You just want to see me go all out in a fight." Levi narrowed his eyes at his lover. He had forgiven Erwin days ago, but that didn't mean he wasn't sore about what he had done.

"Can't confirm or deny such a thing. I'm just a loyal lover checking up on my partner. Whatever would give you such an idea?" Erwin had a smile that said otherwise.

Levi stared for a moment, considering. He seemed to have made up his mind when he turned back to the group.

"Oi! Horse Face! Get your stinky ass over here. You deserve a break." His eyes narrowed as Lavena made to also take a break.

"Did I say you were on break, Ackerman? Keep your ass stationed there if you know what's good for you."

She remained where she stood, arms crossed and clearly annoyed. She knew something was up.

"Then who am I sparring, thin air?" She yelled sarcastically, earning snickering from some of the other recruits.

"Don't you start getting cocky. Do you think this is a game? You're sparring me, bitch." Levi undid the cloak with one hand and with a twirl he handed it to Jean as they passed by each other.

Suddenly the air shifted. The other recruits stopped what they were doing, and cautiously backed away, granting more room for the two. They all knew the stories, whether they be exaggerated or truth, he was still a force not to be reckoned with. And now they could see him in action. However, they knew he was not in a mood to show off. He meant serious business.

"What makes me special to spar against you, old man?" Lavena put up a brave face.

"No matter what you don't show me your full potential. So, since you absolutely refuse even going against one of the strongest of the two from the Survey Corp, you forced my hand. So, come at me with everything you got, because I am not holding back. I'll even give you a free hit." His eyes flashed dangerously.

She tensed, raising her arms defensively as she considered his words. Levi could practically smell the fear in the air. She slowly circled around him, and for every step she made he matched. They circled each other silently, their eyes never straying from each other.

"What's wrong? Too scared to fight Levi the Bloodthirsty? Or are you all bark, and no bite?" He smirked at the sight of her flinching at his assassin name.

For just a split second there was fear in her eyes.

"You're _the_ Bloodthirsty? Then that must mean you were trained under - "

"Kenny the Ripper. Good, you know a little about the family business. Having second thoughts?" He taunted.

Lavena stopped moving, and he mirrored her. They were perfectly still, almost like statues.

"...Whenever I go full force I end up hurting them so bad they're in a coma for the rest of their lives." She bit her lip.

"Honey, I'm not a normal soldier, or assassin. I've taken on Eren Fucking Yeager at his full titan strength and lived. Whatever damage you can deliver, I can take it. Now come at me, bitch. I want to see what you can do." Levi glowered, his voice dark and eyes cold.

He must have finally hit a nerve, for she launched at full speed with a yell. Levi was prepared for it, and easily dodged, using one arm to block her punch. He grabbed her wrist with his other arm, and she responded with a high kick to his head. Before she could land a hit he spun her in the air and sent her flying a good seven feet. He was met with cheer from the Survey Corp, and unnoticed by many, the queen was also watching from the sidelines.

"You said I got a free hit!" She coughed as she got back up on her feet.

"Didn't say that it would land, did I?" Levi countered, earning a growl before she attacked again.

As they sparred, he slowly drew out her full potential. He pushed her to her limits, and was surprised to see that they were near equal in speed and power. They thought along the same level, using the techniques that they knew to gain the upper hand on the other. And it was _exhilarating_ to experience. Never before had Levi fought someone this close to being his equal.

Mikasa wasn't even at this level yet, and she was the best Scout in his squad.

The only difference was that Lavena lacked experience. And, she didn't quite have the stamina he had. Because she held herself back so often, she never pushed passed her limits. Because of this, she tired way too fast for his liking. Yet she continued to meet him blow for blow, and he finally recognized Liucretsia in her.

 _She doesn't know when to quit_. _Just like her mother._

They had yet to land a hit on each other, or throw the other off balance. Neither had gained the upper hand. Despite how obvious Lavena was exhausted, she continued to push onward like a storm. And Levi collided against her, and despite his size he was a much bigger storm that most cowered in fear from. And here she was, meeting him halfway and giving him a run for his money.

For the first time in the short week since he's known her, Levi felt pride swell in his chest.

This was his daughter, there was no doubt about it now. And in many ways, she was the spinning image of him.

From the complete indifference to authority, their freely use of foul language, down to their strategic intelligence and damn near equal in combat. Even the Special Forces Squad could see that Lavena could even best Mikasa, so long as the fight didn't exceed a certain amount of time when stamina played a key role in deciding who won. And while it was the first time to observe Lavena at her limits, it was also the same for Levi.

In the heat of battle, it was best not to be distracted by watching a comrade fight. And while Levi did fight Kenny, his squad didn't get to see the whole of the fight. They had been too distracted with freeing Eren from his chains and escaping the collapsing cave. Compared to this, the fight against Kenny was nothing.

Eventually Lavena caught on he had a leg injury that didn't quite heal right. She quickly focused on his left side, trying to sweep his leg from under him, or hitting the right spot to render him unable to continue. This pushed Levi to the brink. Before he knew it, his assassin instincts kicked in and his movements became more fluid, more calculative, and more birdlike as he moved.

This brought a sense of panic from Lavena. She noticed the changes immediately, and she grit her teeth. Lavena recognized she had awoken something she shouldn't have stirred. She could see his demons fighting to come out and teach her a lesson. Lavena started backing away, but that only served to drive him more to attack, seeing her retreat as a moment of weakness.

Sensing the change, Erwin called for the sparring to end. He had seen these movements before, the night Levi had been captured. If this continued, then it would not end well for Lavena. What made him even more uneasy was that Levi refused to allow her to back away. Instead he was trying to drive her into a corner.

"I believe that is enough. Corporal Levi, stand down." Erwin stepped forward a few paces, his voice stern.

 _Oh, shit._

The two stilled, frozen. They were locked in a draw. Lavena had lost her strength, and thus why she didn't move. And still she managed to hold her leg up, just inches away from his face. Levi was caught between finishing her off and following orders, one arm blocking her leg and the other held her throat. Never before had he been so conflicted, and his eyes flashed from pale blue gray to yellow and back.

"Levi, remember your place. This is just a just a sparring drill, not an actual mission." Erwin softened his voice, but the stern commander was still there.

Levi struggled between a flashback and reality. In one instance he saw a target, in another he saw his daughter. For a brief second his hand tightened a little on her pale neck, as he mainly saw a target.

"Little bird, come back to us."

At the nickname, Levi let go of his hold on Lavena. She drew away, gasping for breath. He stared at her in horror. Levi hadn't meant to go that far. He wanted to reach out to her, apologize, but he couldn't move. He couldn't move because of the shock of what he had almost done. Levi had never lost control before, and this frightened him more than facing Kenny on equal ground.

"I believe that will be enough for today. Everyone, get some rest."

Eyes turned to Queen Historia. Her face told them she had seen the whole incident, and her eyes were filled with concern. She was concerned over the display she had just witnessed, and rightly so.

As the recruits for the Queen's Guard left, so did the majority of the Special Forces Squad. The only one who didn't move was Mikasa, which caught the attention of the rest of the squad. Feeling that something was about to go down, the squad remained, tense as they watched Mikasa made her way closer to the captain. Even Lavena stayed behind, despite how much the fight had frightened her.

"Is that going to happen more often?" She inquired, dark eyes guarded.

"No. No, it won't happen again. You're not going to pull a Hange on me, Ackerman." Pale eyes glared, catching on what she was contemplating.

Behind Mikasa, Lavena stared between them with surprise. Apparently she didn't get the memo she had another relative.

"If the safety and well being of the squad is called into question because you have more frequent episodes like that, then I won't have a choice, _corporal._ Remember, our objective is to protect Eren at all costs, even if it means protecting him from our own ranks." Mikasa reminded him of their position.

"Are you challenging me?" Levi tilted his head, his eyes flashing from pale gray to gold and back.

"And if I am, captain?" She stood her ground.

"Enough. Both of you. I will not have discord within the ranks of the Survey Corp. And need I remind you, we are in the presence of the queen. Also, it is still ultimately my final say if Levi is capable of leading the Special Forces Squad. That does not mean I won't take what happened today under consideration." Erwin intervened, and the two looked away, embarrassed.

"Just, make sure it doesn't happen again, captain." Mikasa said before taking her leave. With her went the rest of the squad, and Eren reluctantly followed after them. He sent a worried glance at the captain before being pulled along by his sister.

"Are you all right?" Erwin stepped closer, completely forgetting about Lavena behind him.

"...Can we snuggle?" Levi tentatively requested, eyes on the ground.

Erwin chuckled softly, it had been a while since Levi openly warmed up to him.

"Wait, you two are _together_?" Lavena stared, wide eyed.

The two blushed, and suddenly the cute moment was ruined. There was a giggle, and their faces deepened in color at the light laughter from the queen. Even Lavena blushed, embarrassed of such behavior in front of royalty status. However, Historia didn't seem to mind at all. She found the whole thing endearing.

"How about you three can help yourselves to one of my tea rooms? There you can have the privacy you need." Queen Historia offered with a kind smile. Whatever demons were resurfacing in Levi, she would hear about it later. Right now she wanted to see him spend time with his daughter that wasn't involving training. And it would be good for Erwin to be there to help, she knew his presence alone calmed Levi in awkward situations.

"Yes, we'll take up on your kind offer, Your Majesty. Tea sounds marvelous, right now." Erwin beamed, grateful for the queen, as he flashed his handsomest of smiles.

Lavena stared, and suddenly she could see what attracted her father to this man besides his brilliant mind.

"So it _is_ true. The rumors going around about you, I mean." She shifted her gaze to Levi.

"And what kind of shitty gossip is it that's true?" He snapped a little too harshly, but she didn't flinch.

"That you like blondes. I heard my mother was a blonde, and all of your partners had blonde hair." She smiled deviously.

Levi caught the jealousy in Erwin's eyes. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. When will the man stop stressing over this? In some ways, he liked the possessiveness, but sometimes it became a hassle.

"While I do have an attraction to blondes, there's more than meets the eye with Erwin. Since he captured me, he's stuck with me for life. And nothing is going to change that. What's that shitty saying the nobles like to say, death to us part? Fuck that saying, for even in death he's mine." To prove his point, Levi reached up, pulled Erwin down to his level by the collar of his shirt and kissed him.

And then after a delighted squeal from the queen Levi casually let go and walked away.

"So, I believe you promised tea. Which room is it?" He turned his focus on Queen Historia.

"Hey! Don't you dare kiss me then leave me hanging, little bird!" Erwin glared when he recovered.

"Someone's getting a little slow, old man." Levi countered, half serious.

"I can still take you with one arm." The commander turned it around to his favor.

This time Levi didn't have a comeback, and crimson burned his cheeks when Lavena busted up laughing.

"He got you good, old man! I can see why you like this one! He's officially earned the daughter's approval." She sent Erwin a wink before skipping her way towards the giggling queen's side.

Despite the glare he received from his short lover, Erwin joined in on the laughter.

=3=

Tea with his daughter and current lover was doing rather well, surprisingly. For the first time, he was able to actually spend time with Lavena when they weren't in training. Levi had wanted something like this for a while, but never knew how to approach on things like this. And having Erwin around helped ease the tension, for he knew she was still cautious around him.

It was the way she would occasionally stare at him, expecting him to flash and attack. It was a trait among most assassin trainees to have when they're unsure whether another assassin was to be trusted or not. For the most part, he ignored the glances, the nervousness. He remembered what it was like when he was being trained under Kenny.

"So, what was my mother like? They told me she died in childbirth."

Levi choked on his tea. He had expected her to inquire about her mother, but he wasn't expecting that.

"I figured that was a lie." She concluded from his reaction.

"...I don't have any other way of putting this, and I hate sugar coating. Your mother was a mental case from hell. Not that I'm not one myself, but she...she had this nasty habit of never letting things go. And the last several years of her anger on me is starting to make sense." Levi explained, as he loosened his ascot to reveal the scars on his neck.

"Are those from her?" Lavena stared, frowning.

"She never told me she got pregnant. She disappeared for a year in the training, and then Kenny pulled me out of group training around the same time. No one told me, and she probably assumed I knew but backed out in helping her. What I'm guessing is that they took you away from her, for she was too unstable to be a mother."

"They never even gave me your name until Queen Historia was on the throne. I heard of your assassin name growing up, but no one told me you were my father. Everyone told me to stay as far away from you as possible." Lavena relayed, feeling like she was betrayed.

"Why did they try so hard to keep us apart? I can see the way you interact with your squad, you wouldn't abandon me like she thought you did. You might be a little prickly on the outside, but I think it comes with the territory of being raised an assassin."

"If I can add an input for a minute." Erwin cautiously spoke.

"You have a theory or something?" Levi eyed him, he knew when the man's gears were turning in his head.

"You told me once that the government feared the Ackerman name. And yet they took a huge risk in allowing Kenny among their ranks as a hired hitman. I'm guessing he is the reason they have assassins in the first place. So, when he took you in from the Underground City, they humored him. They probably didn't believe you would be successful, since you were blind and malnourished. They didn't expect you to become his biggest success, and now they're feeling nervous."

"...Okay, I bite. They made sure that we never knew each other's existence. But why didn't they make a move of eliminating me? Eventually I would have found out once I started taking interest of training pupils again." Levi narrowed his eyes.

"They tried. They tried to set up for you to be captured. Someone leaked information of your assassination attempt on my head. They wanted to set up for you to either be captured, brought to the Military Police to be hanged or to die in the process of being captured by the Survey Corp. I heard whispers of you, of how effective you were with the gear, and I wanted to see you in action. I can say I wasn't disappointed, and that's when I decided I was going to recruit you."

"That's why they sent Kenny in to take care of us. But his feelings got in the way, and he was cornered. That man always had to have control, even down to how he died, which was by my hands." Levi reflected after a moment of letting the information sink in.

"What did they want to do with me then?" Lavena piped up, feeling even more disturbed.

"They couldn't control Kenny. He became too wild and unpredictable. I had no respect of authority and showed early on I wasn't in for politics or believed in their little games. I was simply a weapon, with no other way to live other than how I was raised. So they couldn't trust me to be controlled as their little puppet. But you? You're perfect in their eyes. Taken away as a babe, raised away from both parents, and as long as you didn't find out about myself or your mother, then they had their puppet." Levi stared at her.

"How were you raised?" Erwin gently inquired.

"I was raised well enough. I never starved, never lacked education or money. They even gave me to become a more proper lady, like a standing lady in the court. Not that I was going to stand for it, I hated every man I met in nobility. About the only downsides I had were the harsh training as an assassin." Lavena relayed.

"What were the set required tests in order for you to complete your training?"

"Just show my performance and beat a few records."

"Then their aim was to raise you without suffering. They did their best to make your life easy, and show you the glamorous life of the nobles compared to everywhere else. Easiest way of controlling someone is to give them an easier life, a life without suffering at a young age. I doubt you even unlocked the special traits that belong only to an Ackerman." Levi theorized.

"What do you mean?"

"As far as I have figured out from Kenny, and a book I've been reading of our family history, we came from outside the walls. One of our ancestors came here, and were resistant of the power the royal family had over the entire people. We remember when memories were supposed to be altered. We have a natural resistance to their power, and if we experienced a horrible event at a young age, we become stronger and faster." Levi explained, letting the information sink in before continuing.

"And because of that, we are feared among the government. Hence why they tried to wipe out anyone with the Ackerman name. What they didn't count on was someone like Kenny retaliating, but then he somehow forged a bond with someone powerful enough to be the governments secret weapon."

"So...you're saying they wanted all of us to die? But what about Mikasa? If they wanted a puppet, since they couldn't control Kenny or you, why didn't they snatch her away, too?" Lavena had a point.

"My guess is that they didn't know of her existence until it was too late. They must have known upon seeing her name among the list of recruits in training. They probably had her closely watched, liked her performance, but couldn't snatch her because she has one fatal flaw." He had already figured it out.

"Oh? And what's that?"

"Too much free will. Her only weakness is Eren Yeager, but I have seen that if he is removed out of the picture she becomes depressed. She loses her drive to keep going. She lost her sense of direction. So instead of sending assassins after his head, the government felt safer to leave him be while focusing more on killing myself and Erwin."

Lavena considered his words for a moment. She had a lot to take in, and she was still getting used to the idea that she had a father. But there was one last thing she needed to know before leaving.

"...You never answered what happened to my mother."

Levi looked away, a first when it came down with her. He made a point to never show he was guilty.

"She died a while back, before Wall Cina was almost destroyed. She died fighting against me and Mikasa."

"You mean to say you're responsible for her death?"

"It was either herself or my squad in our rescue attempt for Eren. Mind you, this was before I knew about you."

"And that would have changed the outcome, how?"

"I would have tried harder to secure she lived. Maybe a bit beat up, but alive."

It was the truth, and he knew it. He said it with such conviction, there was no denying it, even for her.

"...Will stand by what I said, she was a fucking mental case. I don't know how she would have reacted upon meeting you. Her mentality became worse when she grew older, so she probably would have saddened and frightened you."

"And how would you know!?" She stood up, eyes brimmed with tears.

"Because that was how I felt when I saw her after eight years of avoiding her." Cold eyes met hers, and somehow he kept a straight face as the tears fell and she ran out of the room.

"...I didn't break her, did I?" His gaze never left the door.

"Give her time. It's a lot to take in. I'm sure she'll come around." Erwin smiled, a mix of sorrow and assuring.

"...Can we snuggle now?"

"Of course, little bird." The commander laughed softly.


	21. Repressed Tempers

Death: A review would be much appreciate, guys. Anywho, please enjoy this chapter. There is some major foreshadowing in here, not that there weren't a few in the previous chapter. I also realized that I didn't have names for the rest of the Queen's Guard, so you find out here in this chapter.

 **Chapter Twenty One** Repressed Tempers

=3=

Erwin was standing on the edge of a wall. He peered over, and to his horror, he saw the dead bodies of every Scout he led to their deaths in an expedition. They were piled over one and another, as their decaying bodies _moved_. They were trying to climb up, to reach the top of the wall and get to him. Were they reaching for him as their salvation, or were they trying to drag him down to their hell for being responsible for their deaths?

He stared, frozen on the spot.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry. I am responsible for your deaths, but your sacrifices weren't in vain." He whispered mostly to himself than the dead comrades.

Erwin shifted his gaze to beyond the corpses, and saw only darkness. There was nothing beyond the wall. He felt his heart sink, as his goal was to see beyond the walls and see for himself that there was more than what this world had to offer when concerning titans and being the last remaining human race. The bleak reality that he would never see beyond the wall hit him hard.

A sudden strong wind picked up, and it nearly forced him to tumble over. Erwin lost balance and frantically reached out with his remaining arm. Just before he fell forward into the pit of corpses, a hand caught him.

Erwin glanced over his shoulder to see Levi, standing calmly as he prevented his fall.

"Little bird...?" He was surprised to see no fondness in those cold eyes.

He was staring into the eyes of an assassin.

"You fall, I fall. Remember this, Erwin Smith." Levi stated, and it sounded more like a promise.

"Levi..." Erwin whispered as he sat up, wiping his eyes. He glanced around, sighing in relief that it had only been a dream. A hyper realistic dream, maybe, but it was only that.

"What's wrong? You've been mumbling in your sleep these last few days." Levi inquired, sipping a fresh cup of tea he just made.

It had been a week since his almost mental breakdown and nearly strangled his own daughter. Although their relationship was a little strained, it didn't interfere with the training. As an upside, she stopped the snide comments towards him at every turn she could. But he was starting to miss her bossy attitude.

"Nothing is wrong. It was just a weird dream." Erwin offered a smile, of which the other didn't believe.

"...You would tell me if something was wrong, right?" Levi asked, not used to being lied to.

"If it persists, I promise I will tell you. It was only one dream, little bird." The commander assured.

"...I'll take your word for it. So, what are the plans on the next expedition?"

"You're not going to try and convince me to remain behind like Hange?" Erwin stared, surprised.

"It's you. You're too proud for it, and Hange can't refuse you." Levi deadpanned.

"This might be a bold move, the boldest yet, even for me. I aim to retake Shiganshina District."

Pale blue grays stared, unsure how he felt about this move. Something was off. He could feel it. There was a change in Erwin, and he couldn't identify what it was. In the short time they've been together, he still had a hard time reading this man. And being an expert assassin was supposed to give him an advantage.

And then something clicked in his head.

"You sound like this is going to be your last expedition." Levi concluded.

"That's my goal. This will be my last expedition. Regardless of the results, I won't be leading the Survey Corp after this. I can't be of much more use with only one arm, and Hange has proven to be an excellent leader. Perhaps a little eccentric, but they have the support and respect from everyone." Erwin explained.

Levi felt his instincts screaming at him. He was torn between whether or not he should say the man can't go, but he had debated too long when there was a knock on the door. He opened it to reveal Hange, with a set of papers in their hand. Levi paled upon seeing their face, and turned to Erwin with despair.

He had already sent his plans over to Hange and the queen.

"Sir, are you sure about these plans? We still haven't formerly tested Eren's abilities yet." Hange went straight to business, only glancing at Levi to notice the hint of betrayal in his face.

"...You didn't inform your plans to the corporal?" Hange concluded, frowning. This was odd for Erwin.

"I only just informed him before you came in, Hange. He has been busy with the new recruits for the Queen's Guard, I didn't want to worry him." Erwin reasoned.

"...Are you insinuating that I am to remain here while you lead your last expedition?" Levi hadn't meant to raise his voice, but he couldn't hide his emotions when it came down to this man.

"It is only a consideration, Levi. You are still needed to train the Queen's Guard, and I can't very well leave Jean or Sasha here. The Special Forces Squad needs to remain strong in number to be effective."

"And you believe I should remain behind while you sacrifice yourself? Is that it? Am I not a part of the Survey Corp, too? Or has all of this been a ruse, and I'm just a fucking wolf in sheep's clothing to all of you?" Levi spat, eyes narrowed with cold fury.

When he was met with silence, Levi pushed passed Hange and left, not even bothering to be subtle as he slammed the door behind him. He almost walked into someone who hadn't meant to eavesdrop, and he angrily kept going without even giving the person a second glance.

Levi stormed into the stables, grabbing his bridle and saddle. His squad were in the middle of their chores, apparently the Queen's Guard and the Special Forces Squad had decided they enjoyed each others company now. And they all jumped when he stormed in, angrily cursing and muttering to himself as he readied his mare. Stella sensed his unease, as she didn't playfully nip at his hair like usual.

"Captain, what happened?" Eren was the only one brave enough to ask.

Cold eyes caught his own, and shivers went down Eren's spine. He gulped, recognizing the eyes of a killer.

"Levi? Did something happen between you and Lavena? Or was it Erwin this time?"

"The fuck did you think it was Lavena? No, the fucking shit two faced commander is what happened." He snarled, his voice so dark and cold that even his squad shuddered, despite being used to his mood swings.

"Well, she did kind of leave a while ago to hand you some papers she wanted you to sign." Hawkins piped up.

"Well that's going to have to wait. I'm going back to headquarters to let off some steam before I finish the job I couldn't finish a few months back." Levi hissed, leading his mare out of the barn.

Suddenly Stella turned her head away from him, snorting and nickering towards another horse. A gray head popped out from a stall in answer, and the stallion tried to reach out to her. Levi almost stumbled as his mare fought against him, more or less winning against the tug of war as she drew closer to the stall.

"I think she's close to her heat cycle." Mikasa guessed, judging from the mare's behavior.

"Of fucking course." Levi glared at his horse, who now refused to budge.

Against his better judgment, he took off the saddle and bridle. Stella didn't even wander off as he brought back the halter and lead rope. He was given questioning looks when he came back with two of them. Levi first put the halter on his mare, then on the gray. He led them to a pasture big enough for the two of them and let them loose.

"But...that's the commander's horse. Are you sure about doing this?" Armin frowned, afraid of the consequences the captain would suffer later.

"Already given permission if she shows interest with any available stud." It was a lie, but they didn't need to know. Levi went back inside and gathered his personal saddle and bridle, as he went down the way to choose a different horse.

"You sure you want to be taking one of the queen's personal horses?" Hawkins tilted her head.

"I can deal with the consequences later. I'm still going. If I remain here, I will be finishing my very last job as an assassin. So if you would all kindly stay out of my way." Levi chose a dappled dark gray gelding and began to adjust the bridle and saddle to better fit him.

"...What happened between the two of you?" Eren persisted.

"Apparently, I'm nothing more than a fucking wolf in sheep's wool if they're considering leaving me behind in the next expedition in favor of training the Queen's Guard." Levi finally revealed, as he struggled to adjust the straps of the saddle. The gelding shied away, sensing his discomfort.

Eren held the gelding still, rubbing the horse's neck affectionately. Now that his new mount was still, Levi was able to finish working with the saddle. He did a quick pull test with the straps to ensure they were tight enough his saddle wouldn't slip and fall. Feeling that they were secured just right, Levi took the reins from Eren, but the titan shifters hand was still on the bridle.

Pale blue gray stared coldly at teal green inquisitively.

"What do you want, brat?" Levi glared, the longer he remained here the more time for Erwin to catch up.

"I'm coming with you." Eren grinned, not at all bothered by his attitude.

"You honestly think I want your company?" Levi snarled, now feeling threatened. He had made a point of avoiding Eren at all costs since they had spent the night outside Wall Rose in their last expedition.

"Well, you can try to run, but last I checked gears can outrun horses." Eren countered.

"Eren, you sure this is a good idea?" Mikasa grew nervous, eyeing the captain who was now feeling murderous.

"I'm coming, too!" Hawkins raised her hand, earning weird stares.

"I don't know where you're all going, but I'm tagging along." A different voice raised heads in surprise.

Levi glared at his daughter with indifference. And then he blinked, noticing she cut her hair short, shorter than Mikasa. Her bangs were swept to the side, and in the back her hair was shorter than her ears, almost done to a boy's standard haircut. He was surprised he rather like this new look for her.

"Actually, why don't we all go?" Jean suggested, earning confused looks. "We're all under the same captain. It's our job to show him our support. I mean, it's unfair they're thinking of staying behind, he's got as every right to go as any of us, including the Queen's Guard, to be honest."

"You honestly believe we're capable outside the walls? We barely had two weeks of training, and the majority of us have never even seen a titan." Fritz Roswald, one of the recruits from the Wall Garrison, didn't share Jean's opinion.

"So that puts us at a disadvantage compared to you guys." Frederika, the twin sister of Fritz added.

"Yeah, and when myself and the rest of the Special Forces Squad just barely graduated from training before we came face to face with the Colossal Titan at Trost District." Jean countered.

"I agree with him, actually. Maybe we can ask the commander later to combine the two squads for this expedition. It might serve a better purpose, so we have enough to play offense and defense instead of waiting upon everyone else like last time." Sasha added her input.

"You can't be _serious_ , right?" Lukas Neumann from the Military Police was appalled at the idea of going outside the wall. His cousin, Jay disagreed, sharing Horse Face's enthusiasm.

"I like the idea of going beyond the wall. It can be just a one time thing, right? The Queen's Guard working together with the best squad of the Survey Corp. Think about it, it would be awesome." Jay was lost in a fantasy, and his cousin face palmed.

Levi considered, it all around wasn't a bad idea. He wondered why he hadn't thought of it before, but then again he was too busy being riled up and ready to lose his temper on the commander earlier. He sighed, as he found that it was inevitable that he wasn't going alone whether he liked it or not.

"I'll talk it over with the commander later about it. And anyone who wants to come with me I'm not going to stop you. But please hurry up and ready your horses. I don't plan on waiting all day." Levi watched as they all scrambled to their mounts, grabbing their bridles and saddles.

Within a few minutes the two squads followed after Levi as he raced towards the nearest gate of Wall Cina. He caught sight of the two commanders and the queen making their way to the stables, but Levi didn't even glance back. He was still too pissed off to give two shits about what they wanted, and a part of him felt satisfied he just left on one of the queen's personal horses leading both of his squads to Survey Corp Headquarters beyond Wall Cina.

Upon reaching the headquarters, they were met with cheers from the rest of the Survey Corp. Levi immediately got on everyone's case how they had slacked on cleaning when he saw the state of he inside. He inwardly smiled as people quickly started to remedy his observation as he gathered his new set of gear. As he went into the storage room, he paused when he caught sight of a familiar set that had been gathering dust.

 _So they do have my original set from when I was an assassin._

Levi discarded the set he had in his hand in favor of his old one. He had missed this old thing, it served him well over the years as an assassin. This was the very same set Kenny gave him upon his twenty third birthday as his graduation gift. And since he took very good care of it, it lasted so long compared to other gears. And maybe it perhaps was because it was tinkered a little to better suit an assassin than a Scout.

He didn't bother with the storage for blades or cannisters, his aim was simply to enjoy being out in the air.

Levi strolled outside with ease, and he immediately felt the stares from three pairs of eyes. He turned to see Hawkins, Lavena, and Armin studying his gear curiously. Of course they would notice the changes.

"I don't remember any of our extras looking like that." Armin commented, and then he noticed the pale faces the two assassin trainees made.

"...That was your original gear, wasn't it?" Mikasa concluded when the blonde couldn't say the words.

"As a matter of fact, it is. Funny, they never told me they still had it. I assumed they threw it away for scraps when they gave me a new pair when I joined up." Levi tested the controls, feeling that they were in still working condition despite being neglected for a few months.

"There are less straps than what they use as standard for the military divisions." Armin commented as he examined the gear closely, circling the captain. "Wouldn't you lose balance with this? It's not even connected to your torso, only to your hips and upper legs."

"That's how I was trained. Broke an arm the first try. Got back up, broke it back in place, and kept going. Honestly, I didn't feel comfortable with the standard gear you guys have. They created unnecessary drag, and threw my balance off a little." Levi shrugged.

"But they are the fastest we have yet." Armin blinked, unsure if that was true or not.

"And made to make it easier for the users to be in the air. With this it requires a lot more than just talent. Now, if you would excuse me, I'm going into the forest. From here on you guys can follow or not. Warning, it's about to rain. I can feel it in my leg." Levi looked up to the dark sky.

"And you're still going out there?" Lavena frowned, getting a bad feeling about this.

"I have to let off steam somehow. And I don't feel like sparring, this sort of stress needs to be let go in the air." Levi stated before he got on his horse and with a click of his tongue he was galloping into the trees.

Eren followed without a second thought, and for once he was leaving behind his two best friends.

=3=

Eren definitely saw a change in the captain's performance when he was back with his old set of gear. His movements became more fluid and birdlike. He seemed more free than with the standard issued gears, and in a way that was more terrifying to think about. Eren was barely able to keep up with the captain as he tailed close behind.

At some point he allowed himself to drop lower in altitude to watch Levi as he executed a combination of tricks and flips in the air. He felt entranced, as he imagined the short captain transform into a bird as he flew. It was a sight to see, and Eren would never tire of watching it. He always admired how Levi was more at ease in the air than on the ground. It was as if he was meant to be in the air instead of being grounded.

 _Maybe that's why I like him so much. He can be free, more free than I can ever be._

The moment Eren felt saddened by this conclusion, the rain poured. And in the same instance, some of the others have finally caught up. Eren blinked as he caught sight of the Mikasa, Armin, and Lavena. A few minutes later the rest of both squads finally caught up, and like Eren, they were also entranced by Levi.

Levi was lost in his own world. It had been too long since he let off steam just by being in the air. Probably since the first time Erwin allowed him to be in the air after his capture. And despite the rain soaking into his clothes, he didn't slow down. He didn't even brink the cloak with him, as he preferred the Wings of Freedom over the sigil of the Queen's Guard at the moment. But he had forgotten that cloak back at the palace.

Suddenly he felt his instincts flaring. Levi straightened up, slowing down. Immediately the Special Forces Squad were tense, already used to the signs of their captain uneasy in the field. Meanwhile the recruits for the Queen's Guard were confused, but didn't say anything about it when they too, started to feel uneasy.

"It feels like something is watching us." Lavena described, and everyone silently agreed.

"Standard formation and surround Eren. Queen's Guard, work on offense. Special Forces Squad, you're the defense. No one better screw this shit up." Levi instructed, leading them to double back around.

"But we don't have weapons, sir." Fritz scowled as the Special Forces Squad immediately took position, and the Queen's Guard shifted to surround the squad to prevent any attack.

"This is where you get creative." Levi drew his curved knife. "Which of you is best with knives?"

"That would be me." Jay inclined, which earned a different knife being tossed at him. He caught it with ease, and studied it. He noted that it was very old, probably passed down quite a few times.

"Don't lose that, you hear? Or you'll be cleaning toilets of the entire palace for a month." Levi threatened, eyes icily cold when he glanced at Jay. The young man resisted the shiver, and simply nodded.

"Let's speed up." The captain advised, adding a sudden burst of speed of which everyone followed suit.

As they were halfway to reach their destination, Levi hadn't realized how far they had gone until now, when a tree fell in front of them. Levi was forced to slow down just enough to avoid from crashing into the falling tree. He caught sight of another one about to crash down upon him, and he did a back flip to avoid it. Meanwhile the Special Forces Squad leaped over, and the Queen's Guard followed after but held back when they made the clear.

"Keep going!" Levi yelled as he sped up again, and to his relief Mikasa took the lead.

Suddenly as he almost caught up with them an arm reached out. Levi twirled high into the air before flipping over the outstretched arm. He felt his heart stop upon seeing that it didn't belong to neither Ylmir or Reiner. It had dark hair all over the arm, and his eyes followed the appendage to see that it had hair all over its body.

 _There is no way this is an abnormal._

He saw the intelligence in those eyes. No, this was a chemical, just like Eren. And he realized something.

 _This was the one that threw the trees at us in the last expedition._

"Full speed! It's a chemical! It's working with the other three!" Levi urged them, and they quickly obliged. He silently cursed their luck. They had virtually no weapons aside from two measly knives, and even though he noticed how Armin carried a few signal flares, the rain was too heavy to use them.

"Mikasa, lead them around! Hawkins, Armin, full speed to headquarters to give the warning!" Levi had an improvised plan.

"It's gaining on us!" Connie yelled as the titan was almost upon them.

"Queen's Guard, switch with Special Forces Squad! Mikasa, you remain as leader. Keep going no matter what happens, do you understand? Our objective is to keep Eren away from this thing as possible! Jay, hand that knife over to Sasha!" Levi was formulating a suicidal plan, but it was the best that they could do.

"What are you doing?" Lavena wanted to stay behind.

"Just protect Eren!" He urged her to keep going, and reluctantly she sped up after to follow her squad.

"Hawkins, Armin, we will provide you two the cover to head straight to headquarters. Raise the alarm, and whatever you do, do not slow down. Do you understand?" Levi eyed them both with all seriousness.

The two nodded silently, and without another word Levi flipped around to face the oncoming titan. His squad split up to surround it, and he heard the two they were providing cover for went full speed in the direction of headquarters.

 _May the Wings of Freedom carry you to victory. Else we will all be dead._

With that final thought Levi sprang towards the strange beast at full speed. This action caught it by surprise, and it couldn't react fast enough as he aimed his curved knife to one of its eyes. Although his knife wasn't the typical weapon to fend off a titan, it was still sharp enough to do damage to the eye. He felt a sickening pleasure as the beast screamed as he twisted his knife harshly, doing as much damage as he could.

"You're about to learn to never mess with a sick little shit like me, pal. I'll have you know Annie was terrified of me when I tortured her. And it just so happens you caught me on a bad day, so I'm not feeling merciful." Levi allowed himself a smirk, as his eyes changed to a dangerous glint of yellow.

He twisted his knife one good time, not even flinching when blood and other liquids squirted all over him, before leaping away when an arm reached for him. Levi let out a shrilled screech of a bird of prey, and suddenly his squad were upon the beast. They didn't have weapons, but simply avoiding its arms they did numerous flips and tricks around it, distracting it from ever catching up with Eren.

It was then Zeke decided it was better to turn his attention onto Levi instead.


	22. Narrow Escape

Death: I am so glad to be back in the roll of writing this story. I hated taking a break from it, but it was needed. Now I'm back, and better than ever now that I know where to go.

Warning, this story is close to an end. I can't say for sure how many chapters are left, but I am nearing what it feels to me is the end of this story. Just thought I should warn all of you.

 **Chapter Twenty Two** Narrow Escape

=3=

Eren had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. As they fled, there were no signs of any of the other three that had caused so much mayhem since Annie's capture. When there was still no sign of titan, chemical or not, he had enough. He couldn't fight against his urge to turn around anymore.

"Everyone, stop! We shouldn't be running away!" Eren yelled, and suddenly they paused, landing on branches.

"We can't allow them to capture you again, Eren." Mikasa held firm.

"And leave our comrades behind without any chances of fighting it? What if any of the other three show up upon them? Fighting one without weapons is bad enough, but what about four? And I can fight it." Eren pointed out, feeling his chest burn with the need to fight, his eyes flashing.

"He has a point. With him fighting as a titan, your squad stands a better chance of surviving." Jay agreed.

"But we've never faced a titan!" Lukas was immediately against it.

"We have to face them at some point, right? What if we have another fiasco of them breaking through one of the gates again? We have to fight off everything that is a danger to the people, as well as the queen." Frederika reminded them the ideals of the Queen's Guard.

"But what use can we fight without weapons?" Fritz frowned, not liking their chances.

There was a flash of lightning, followed by a crack of thunder. Everyone shivered at the ferocity of the storm as it picked up. Since this was a summer storm, the rain wasn't cold, but a little more on the warm side. Still, with the wind it created a bit of a chill factor. Suddenly they all caught sight of green cloaks, and suddenly the group that came across them stopped.

"Hange!" Eren recognized them with relief.

"What's the situation? We're spread out across the forest in search of this new titan." Hange went straight to business, also relieved to see Eren was safe. But where was the rest of the Special Forces Squad?

"The Special Forces Squad remained behind to redirect its attention from Eren. Levi instructed I lead the Queen's Guard and Eren to safety, as we are weaponless." Mikasa relayed, and the air was thick with fear.

"...I will spread word, in the meantime, all of you return to HQ, gather weapons and come back pronto. If Erwin is still there, please stick by his side, he is quite livid already. And I know he won't remain behind for very long." Hange instructed after a moment of consideration.

"But, Hange I can fight! I know I can fight again in my titan form! Please, let me fight!" Eren begged, he couldn't wait until they returned to the forest in search for the squad that remained behind.

"You sure you want to fight in your titan form? I cannot ensure that the Special Forces Squad will still be alive by the time we reach them." Hange wanted to be sure he was actually ready to face the possibility.

"I won't lose control, I promise!" Eren said, his words barely spoken when another flash of lightning lit up the sky. Everyone waited on baited breath, and the echoes of thunder followed.

Thus far there have been no sign of the other chemicals, which Hange wasn't sure if it was good or bad.

"Very well, fine. You remain with me. The rest of you, head to HQ and come back as quickly as possible." Hange nodded, and watched with a heavy heart as they left as instructed.

 _Levi sacrificed himself and the now veterans of the Survey Corp to save the recruits. However, I know for a fact it was more along the lines it was to save his daughter, and he doesn't even know her name change yet._

Hange had been there when the girl presented the papers to Erwin. It had been meant as a surprise for Levi and Erwin, but felt bad on the timing since she walked in on a heated argument instead. With their heart sinking, Hange hoped with all their might that the entire Special Forces Squad made it out alive.

Levi hasn't been told of his daughter taking the name of Lavena Ackerman Smith yet.

 _It would crush her that she didn't get to tell him. Levi, I hope you have enough titan gene to survive._

Hange felt a surge of hope when Eren transformed, and his familiar roar echoed throughout the forest. The powerful fifteen meter titan charged through the trees followed close behind by Hange and their squad. The commander had sent two people in opposite directions already to spread the word of the update.

=3=

Levi lost track of how much time passed. He could tell his squad were beginning to tire, and he wasn't sure how much their gears could hold on much longer. They had gas to last a while longer, but for how long? They had not been holding back on their speed, for it was required in order to dodge this beast titan.

Its long arms made it far too problematic to deal with it. It was taller than Ylmir, and its arms were the same length as its height. And it was for sure much stronger than Ylmir, despite how she was already strong enough to give the Armored Titan pause.

And, he was starting to notice a pattern.

Since he stabbed its eye, it focused mostly on him than the rest of his squad. This unnerved him greatly, but as time went on, he started thinking. Maybe he could draw it away from his squad. Maybe he could grant them the chance to live. He had chosen them to remain behind with him over the Queen's Guard. The least he could do was grant them a chance to survive this encounter while he made this thing chase him.

 _I am fast enough to outrun it. But for how long is the question._

He checked his gear. He still had half a tank left on both of them. It was probably better off than the rest of his squad. And, biting his lip, he came to the conclusion. He decided it was now or never.

"Oi, stinky hairy ass! Yeah, I'm talking to you! Want to play a little game called tag?" Levi sliced a cheek with Talon as he went passed.

"You're it." He challenged before fleeing with a burst of speed.

It puffed, but the beast took the bait and charged after him. The Special Forces Squad attempted to follow, but they had to drop back when the majority their gears ran out of gas. It was just Levi and the beast, now. Just as he wanted. He grit his teeth as he went full speed ahead, zig zagging through the trees.

Levi heard a familiar roar. He blinked, realizing that Eren must have met the Survey Corp and given permission to transform. Or, he probably had enough of running and decided to turn back and fight. Either or seemed probable. Levi changed course to follow in the direction of the roar, and hopefully they crossed paths.

However, what he didn't count was a titan crawling on all fours leaped from the trees to tackle him.

He had sensed something was happening, and his instincts kicked in just in time. He dodged with several twirls, giving out a shrilled cry. His eyes flashed yellow as he glared at the offending titan that attempted to take him down. In that instance, he realized that it didn't have a rider.

 _The beast must be its rider._

Levi didn't have time to decide what to do from there when a roar answered his cry, coming from a different direction than he had thought was heading towards. Figuring out this was the best way to be found, Levi answered with another cry of a bird of prey as he changed due course again.

An echoing roar answered back, and now they knew which direction they needed in order to meet.

Despite how much of a risk of his gear running of gas too fast, Levi increased his speed tenfold. There was a reason why he preferred the gear he had as in his assassin career. He had tinkered with it over the years. He found a way to increase the speed without destroying itself from the backlash of heat. The cost of it was that it took a major amount of gas if he kept it up for too long.

To his annoyance, the titan on all fours was almost keeping up with him on the ground. And somehow the beast was not far behind, but far enough that even with its long arms to reach with couldn't catch him. In the distance, he could hear the familiar stride of Eren's titan form closing in on them. He couldn't see through the trees yet, but he could feel the trees tremble from the powerful strides.

Suddenly a flash of lighting caught a tree he came too close to as he passed. It caught fire, and he was forced to slow down and dodge as it fell. Levi let out another shrilled cry, one filled with urgency, as he tried to reach for a high branch to escape the beast titan's reach.

However, before he could reach it the four legged one climbed the tree with ease. Catching sight of it, Levi was forced to choose a tree opposite of it, and effectively slowing down again. From the corner of his eye he saw Eren's titan form through the trees, and familiar green cloaks beside him. On the ground he heard horses closing in from a different direction.

A hairy arm reached for him.

Levi flipped over it, effectively dodging it. However, he couldn't pull himself up. His gear ran out of gas.

Heart stopping, he fell.

And then he was caught by the same hand that had reached for him seconds before. Levi stared at the ground, watching in horror as Talon fell. There went his only weapon. And suddenly his world slowed, his body tense and still, as the hand raised him to an opening mouth. His panicked cry cut short when the giant mouth closed in around him.

The last thing he saw before darkness was Eren's green eyes flashing as he closed in, aiming a punch.

=3=

Eren was beyond furious. He came upon the beast titan eating the captain, and the sinking feeling of no sign of the Special Forces Squad around. With an angry roar he aimed for a punch at the ugly titan that. It blocked with one of the elongated arms, of which Eren used as leverage to throw it to the ground.

Or tried to, anyway.

Instead he sent it into a couple of trees, as he couldn't lift it off the ground and fling it like how Levi does.

Still hanging onto the limb, Eren pulled at it with all of his strength. With a sickening rip and pop he pulled the arm out of its socket and threw it as far as away as possible. Hindering its ability to defend itself properly, Eren went in for another attack. His aim was for the gut, but once again he was blocked by the other arm. This time though, it pushed him against a tree, using its strength to hold him there.

Eren roared with fury as he struggled to get free.

 _You dared to eat the captain! I will make you pay!_

Hange and a few others sliced up the elongated arm, and the beast was forced to retract and let Eren go. While the Scouts distracted its only arm, Eren went in for another attack. However, he changed the aim of his punch to the side of the jaw. He had a hunch, and he hoped it was correct.

He landed a couple of blows to the face before he decided to send a kick to the gut, sending the beast to the ground. Eren stomped on its chest several times as he growled, and finally the beast titan spat out the unconscious captain, who ended up rolling away a good ten feet before a tree trunk stopped him. Eren knew if he woke up now he would be pissed that he was covered in mud and titan spit.

Eren had been distracted too long.

An arm sent him flying a good twenty meters, the force crashed a few trees down to the forest floor. He was dazed for a good few minutes before Mikasa landed on his chest, having just caught up with Erwin and the Queen's Guard. It was then Eren felt the air change as the beast titan made a command.

 ** _Kill Commander Erwin Smith._**

The order wasn't meant for Eren, but he heard it clear as day. Shaken out of his daze, Eren sat up. His eyes widened as he watched, as Levi's body moved on its own. No, wait, he was awake, but he wasn't himself. His eyes were golden yellow, devoid of emotion. And he bore the familiar marks underneath his eyes.

Eren roared as he bolted towards them, but he was too late to stop Levi as he did a sweep kick that brought Erwin to the ground. Levi silently stood over the commander, Talon in hand, which didn't make sense in how he had it when Eren was sure he saw the captain drop it before he was placed inside the beast titan's mouth.

Sensing something was up, Lavena intervened. The two immediately fought, and like before they were evenly matched. Eren stopped, and he turned his gaze to the beast titan as it tried to get back up, the Scouts were too distracted by the strange display of Levi fighting against his own.

With a roar Eren unleashed all of his power upon the beast titan responsible. He knew that somehow it was controlling Levi. He had heard the command. He tackled the beast into the ground as he punched endlessly into that disgusting filthy head. When his knuckles were bloodied up, Eren leaned over and released a long, deep roar into the beast titan's face.

 _You will not use the captain as a puppet no more!_

When his roar was done, the beast titan pushed him off. It used so much strength that it knocked out the other titan, and Eren popped out of the body in a daze, dizzy. He blinked as Mikasa pulled him away from the body and into safety. Eren sort of came back around when he caught sight of Levi actually winning against Lavena. And then he had to remind himself that this wasn't Levi in control anymore.

"He's being controlled! I heard that thing make an order to kill Erwin! He somehow has a control over the captain!" Eren yelled, snapping out of his daze.

"Is there a way to snap him out of it? That thing just ran off with the four legged one." Hange hated doing something as a last resort if they couldn't successfully snap Levi out of the control.

"Wait, how is he being controlled? I thought he wasn't a titan?" Fritz stared, as did the rest of the Queen's Guard aside from Lavena, who was otherwise preoccupied.

"He has the titan gene, but not enough to fully transform like Eren. He has some of the benefits, such as strength and speed, as well as the eyesight of a bird of prey." Hange explained to them.

"So this beast thing has the ability to control titans then? Is that's why he's attacking us?" Hawkins frowned, not liking this situation at all. Armin ran up to Eren, grabbing hold of his hands.

"You have to make him snap out of it, Eren! I know you can control them, too!" The blonde encouraged.

"But...all the previous times were by accident. I tried to make the king stop when he was on a rampage, but I couldn't even manage that." Eren was in doubt. He wasn't sure he could pull this off.

His eyes drifted to the two, and noted as Lavena struggled to keep up with her father. And yet she had the drive to keep going, despite the fear in her eyes. This time around she was as relentless as he was. And even then it was a struggle to keep up when he wasn't the right mind state.

"...I can try. But we have to help her. She can't hold out for much longer." Eren was about to get involved when Mikasa beat him to it.

She joined in and immediately the two girls worked in perfect synchronization against him. By now the Scouts and Queen's Guard alike gave them room, as the fight became more chaotic when Mikasa joined in. Eren watched with worried eyes as he concentrated. He slowed his breathing as he focused on trying to mentally break the hold the beast titan had over the captain.

He thought about how Levi was so free when he was in the air, and how his moves alone inspired everyone else. He thought about his relationship to Erwin, and despite their ups and downs, they were perfect for each other, as much as it hurt Eren to see them together. He thought about Levi's growing relationship with his daughter, and how she was slowly warming up to him. They had fourteen years to catch up on.

He thought about how, despite how crass he was towards everyone, he cared. Levi cared for every life, and preserving every possible soldier. Come to think of it, he probably had the beast titan chase after him to grant his squad a second chance to live another day, sacrificing his own life for them. And he granted the same for the Queen's Guard, when he ordered them to remain with Eren instead of fighting off their first titan encounter.

And to increase their chances of survival he ordered Mikasa lead them.

Then Eren realized a pattern. Levi had ensured that Eren's closest friends, Mikasa and Armin, were given the increased chances of surviving this event. This was all done for Eren, either consciously or subconsciously, the captain cared for him, despite how he had grown distant with him since the night they spent outside Wall Rose a while back. Despite the awkwardness, Levi put Eren above himself.

And for some stupid reason, even though he tried so hard to follow the captain's advice, he fell for the man even harder. And so Eren concentrated on those feelings, as much as it hurt and tore apart his chest. He focused hard as he concentrated on one thought only.

 _Come back to us, captain._

Eren closed his eyes, concentrating. He could hear the fight still going on, and Levi showed no signs of slowing down. He focused as hard as he could on the same thoughts as he released his powers.

 _I know you occasionally hate us, we may annoy you to no end. But we all care for you. Erwin can be stupid, but he loves you. Come back to us. Wake up. Wake up, captain. Wake up, Levi._

"WAKE UP CAPTAIN!" Eren yelled on the top of his lungs.

A flash of lightning, and he opened his eyes and gasped at the sight before him.

Levi was down, as his body had finally begun to tire enough that one of the two girls had swept his feet out from under him. His eyes blinked in confusion, as the yellow slowly changed into pale blue gray. Lavena was the first to cautiously move closer, kneeling down beside him. Levi stared, confused and still in a daze.

"...Why are you crying? Did I cause those tears?" Levi inquired, eyebrows furrowed.

"I thought you were dead. I saw you get eaten. And then...and then you went out of it and..." Lavena sobbed as she held his outstretched hand, and she was overcome with a mix of grief, horror, and relief.

Eren moved closer to kneel on the other side as tears of relief and joy ran down his tanned cheeks.

"Why is everyone crying? The shit did I do?" Levi was growing annoyed, and then he caught sight of Erwin.

Despite his usual mask, his deep blue eyes that held the sky had too many emotions swirling in them. There was silent fury, betrayal, relief, and sorrow in those eyes all at once. Levi felt his heart stop in that moment. He had fucked up. Judging by that expression he so fucked up. And the shitty part? He didn't remember a fucking thing.

"Corporal Levi, what was the last thing you remember?" Erwin was all Commander of the Survey Corp.

"Being swallowed while Eren was coming upon us aiming a punch at that thing's face." Levi stated clearly.

"So you don't remember that titan ordering you to kill Commander Erwin, captain?" Hange leaned over, brown eyes dark with seriousness that scared him.

"Excuse me? What kind of shit talk are you saying, Glasses?" He was appalled, staring up at them.

"According to Eren, he heard that titan give you an order to kill Commander Erwin, and you attempted to follow through with it. If it weren't for Lavena and Mikasa, you would have succeeded." Hange elaborated.

Levi didn't know how to respond. He shifted his gaze to Erwin, whose eyes were guarded. He paled as he thought of what he had said earlier, that if he had remained within close range of the commander he would lose sense of his temper and finish the job he had failed moths ago. Did the Beast Titan somehow figured out his momentary anger, and used it to get into his head? Or was it just the titan control power by itself?

"What happened to the rest of the Special Forces Squad?" Hange inquired, unrelenting.

"They're further into the forest. That titan focused mostly on myself, and I knew they were low on gas so I drew its attention only on me and made it give chase so they didn't die." Levi relayed.

"For your sake, I hope you're telling truth. I will be sending a few squads to search for them." The substitute commander said, before sending off a few squads to follow the prints left behind by the Beast Titan.

"You think I was under control before it placed me inside its shitty mouth?" Levi was quick to get on his feet, on the defensive. His body was tense as he glared coldly at Hange.

"You have been acting up all day, and we received word of what you said back in the stables. A concerned stable boy quickly ran to inform the queen what you said. Even if it was said out of anger, it is too much of a coincidence that a short time later you willingly followed orders of an enemy titan and attempted to kill Commander Erwin." They countered, and suddenly Eren stood up as well.

"Hold on! He was unconscious when that monster ordered him to kill him! There was nothing he could do at that point if he couldn't resist the order! The titan in him had no choice in the matter." Eren glared.

"Eren, for once, shut the fuck up before they decide to discipline you for stepping out of line." Levi crossed his arms, knowing full well that neither commander were in the mood to argue with him.

"But captain - "

"Did I stutter?" Levi narrowed his eyes.

Eren couldn't believe what was happening. The short captain always defended himself when he was in the right. But here he was, giving up for the first time. He glanced over at Erwin, but that only served to piss him off even more.

"And you're just going to stand there while he's being accused of treason?"

Blue eyes stared at him with indifference. The look sent shivers down Eren's spine, adding fire to his fury.

"You know, for someone who is in a fucking relationship with him, you do nothing when he needs your support in situations like this. You just stand back, and observe. What kind of fucked up relationship is that? Or are you just too scared to put your position on the line when he could possibly be in the wrong?"

Eren knew he hit a nerve when Erwin didn't answer. This encouraged the Titan shifter to continue.

"Excuse me if I step out of line for saying this, but if I were in your shoes, I would be fighting tooth and nail for him, even if he was in the wrong in the end. He put everyone above his own life in every encounter with any enemy. He made sure that the two most important people in my life had increased chances of surviving just so I _can_ keep going, knowing that I would go insane without Mikasa or Armin. And in the end, unlike you, he couldn't condemn his squad to death after he already lost an entire squad before."

Everyone flinched when he brought up the first generation of the Special Forces Squad. No one has even whispered about it since their passing, and Eren was the first to ever bring them up.

"He gives up everything for you, and you don't even have the decency to do the same. About the only time I've seen you return the favor was when you lost your arm when he was about to be eaten alive by Reiner. And you have the audacity to repeat the same old habits after he was nearly eaten _again_. You, sir, have lost all of my respect for you for this." Eren's eyes were burning bright.

"Eren..." Mikasa warned, as a crack of lightning flashed above them, followed by thunder.

Levi stared at the Titan shifter, unsure what to think. As much as he wanted to sock him, he couldn't deny any of what Eren said. It didn't help when both of his squads agreed, he could see it in their faces. And one look at the rest of the Survey Corp, he could see they silently went along with Eren, but they dared not voice their opinions, for they didn't want to get on the bad side of two commanders.

Finally, word came back the rest of the Special Forces Squad were all safe and sound. They had all ran out of gas, and were walking back in their direction. All of them were unhurt, but perhaps a bit exhausted. They had all reported the same thing, that the captain gave a wild goose chase of his own accord. Levi noticed the air of relief from everyone, and he made a point to turn his gaze upon Hange.

"Well, am I in the clear, now? Or am I spending the night in the fucking dungeon?" He stated coldly.

Hange didn't know how to proceed, and before they could respond someone else did.

"He's in the clear. He won't be spending the night in a dungeon."

Eyes turned to Commander Erwin in surprise. Levi stared with indifference, keeping his blank mask on. When the horses were brought over, he recognized the dappled gray and whistled. The gelding flicked its ears before making its way closer to him. Levi easily swung up, and for once he didn't feel like galloping away.

Upon reaching the headquarters, Levi directed his horse towards the stables. The others stared, confused.

"Captain, that's one of the queen's personal horses." Hange reminded, blinking.

"And at the moment Stella is unable to remain as my partner. I'm currently breeding her. And this one has already bonded, so I don't think her royal highness will mind if I borrowed one horse until my horse is done being a mother." Levi stopped, and he turned his mount to face them.

"I would like to request the training of both of my squads be moved here. Since the Queen's Guard needs to become more acquainted in fighting titans, it would be better to move to this location than remain in the city."

"And you need the Special Forces Squad why?" Hange inquired, not really opposing, just curious.

"You said you wanted to test Eren's abilities. Might as well start now before the next expedition." Levi recalled what the substitute commander had said earlier about Eren.

"I don't see why not. Very well, both squads can stay here. In a few days I will be coming back to oversee the tests done on Eren. Be sure to keep thorough notes, all right?" Hange flashed a smile, hoping that there was no hard feelings from the short captain.

"I'll leave that job with Hawkins. She has the makings of a junior scientist." Levi stated, watching as the Queen's Guard left the main group, followed by Eren and his two friends in tow.

Pale blue grays met teal green as they passed, and once again he thought of Isabel, resisting a shiver.

"Mikasa, show them to the stables. I'll be waiting for the rest of the squad to flag them down." Levi instructed, and she happily obliged. He turned to watch as the majority left towards the inner city.

He blinked when Erwin hesitated, and for the first time he noticed that the man wasn't on his usual horse.

"...You look better on a darker horse than that silver gray. Makes you less of a glorious warrior leading a bunch of people to victory." Levi stated, unsure how to start up a conversation, his pride getting in the way of apologizing. And a selfish part of him didn't believe he was even in the wrong.

"You mean to their deaths. As my sacrificial lambs, as you so eloquently put it." Erwin responded indifferently.

Levi didn't know how to respond to that. Instead he opted for starting at him blankly.

"Look, I didn't tell you that the next expedition will be my last because it was meant as a surprise. I wanted to surprise you, with the hopes of giving you a reason to retire early from the Survey Corp. I wouldn't make you pull out of the Queen's Guard, for they still need you. I simply wanted to enjoy the rest of our lives together while we still can. I want to spoil you, and be selfish with you, and spend time with our daughter."

At that last part Levi sputtered, and he found himself blushing brightly.

"What the shit talk are you saying?" He wasn't sure if he heard him right.

"She's changing her name to Lavena Ackerman Smith. She wanted us to sign the papers of us being named her legal parents. Well, more or less guardian for myself, but she accepts me as a parental figure." Erwin elaborated, smiling softly at the frozen shock on his lover's face.

 _She...accepts me as her father? But I thought..._

Then he thought of when earlier, he first caught sight of her new hairstyle. And he realized that it was her own version of his own, with a mix of Erwin, too. He saw it now, the way she parted her bangs just like the commander's. And then it hit him that Erwin was giving up his dream to see beyond the walls for _him_. He had been selfish all along, but Levi was too stupid to see it.

At the realization he urged his mount closer to the commander's, and he wrapped his arms around the broad shoulders, pulling both of them off their horses. Levi grunted for taking the weight of landing in the mud with Erwin on top of him, but he didn't care. He tugged the man down for a kiss, and this time he kept him there.

At first Erwin was tense, but when he understood what Levi was portraying to him without words he relaxed.

 _I'm sorry for being an ass. And I accept your proposal._


	23. Retaking Shiganshina Part One

Death: And here goes the beginning of the end. I have decided to make this into two or three parts, and then the aftermath of retaking Wall Maria. Things are going to be really intense.

 **Chapter Twenty Three** Retaking Shiganshina Part One

=3=

The Survey Corp was sent out of the gates with cheer exactly one week after the incident with the Beast Titan. The entire fraction released a roar as they burst out of the gate, and their enthusiasm was echoed by the crowd of civilians behind them. Queen Historia sent them off with a parade, bringing hope for the first time in ages, believing that they were about to regain lost territory.

Levi led the Special Forces Squad and the Queen's Guard in the center behind the front lines. It had taken much consideration whether or not to allow him in the expedition, for there was the fear he would be under the control of the Beast Titan once again. But Eren assured everyone that if he could pull the captain out of that control, he could do it again. And surprisingly, the Queen's Guard were welcomed to join in this expedition with open arms from all around.

He was grateful of the support from his squad and the majority of the Survey Corp. And Erwin openly having the final say that he had every right to be part of the mission. And just when things couldn't get better, the man presented him a ring. It was simple, just a band of silver. Levi accepted it, and with his heart racing he saw that Erwin wore a matching one on his ring finger.

Levi admired it in the glinting morning sun as they rode, loving how it stood out against the dappled gray of his mount. Queen Historia had granted him the horse without consequence, just as he knew she would. They shared a love for horses, since his mare was retired for the time being. As a good token to support their union, the queen even gave Erwin the horse he borrowed when his own horse was otherwise preoccupied.

It was the least she could do to grant them her blessings. And these two horses were supposed to be the best out of her stables. Yet she freely handed over ownership, knowing that there will be better horses in a few years. She made it clear she was looking forward to Stella's first foal.

Up front, Erwin slowed the pace just a little. And so Levi pulled the reins just enough to slow his mount, and watched as a few squads from either side of the formation sped forward to scout ahead. The formation this time was different, more close knit as they were focused on making a speedy travel in the long distance to Wall Maria. At the same token, they were to protect the cargo as best as they could.

Hange had worked hard on creating new weapons to fight against the Armored Titan.

As they neared the first small abandoned village, they came across only a few titans. However, Levi felt his heart drop at the sight of a black flare. Without even glancing back he waved the signal to Mikasa to lead the Special Forces Squad to help take care of it, leaving him to lead the Queen's Guard to protect Eren.

"Good luck, guys!" Hawkins bellowed.

"May the Wings of Freedom carry you all to victory!" Sasha replied.

When they passed through the village, the abnormal titan came too close to the center for their liking. Levi didn't even flinch when debris flew over his head while his squad screamed. He did a check over to see that no one was hurt, and then he saw that the abnormal had its eye on them.

"Captain! What do we do!?" Lukas glanced behind him to see the abnormal closing in.

"Do not engage. Leave it to the Scouts to take care of it." Levi instructed calmly.

"How in the hell are you so calm!?" Fritz was in a near state of panic.

"Keep your head in the game, man! This isn't training drills!" Jay reprimanded.

"I'm just wondering how in the hell he can remain so calm!"

"He's always like this during a mission. I think it comes from his years as an assassin." Eren piped up.

"And that's the secret? But titans aren't human targets!" Lukas frowned.

"Look at Hawkins and Lavena, they're not freaking out either. Assassin training is a whole different ball game compared to the rest of us. They're on a different level, more suited in the midst of chaos." Jay noted the two assassin trainees.

Everyone glanced at the girls to see that indeed, they were calm and collected just like the captain.

"And we're not receiving that kind of training, why?" Frederika inquired, a little jealous.

"You lot would crack if I gave you that kind of training. None of you have the mental capacity to survive it. On top of it, those two haven't even endured the real tests to pass as an assassin." Levi stated coldly.

"What are you saying? What kind of tests did you have to endure?" Lavena frowned.

"To pass in my generation, we had to endure torture. Everything ranging from physical, mental, emotional, and lastly sexual from the ages of thirteen until we passed it all without killing ourselves. You ever wondered why we're all so fucked up in the head? It's because we survived all of that and passed. It's no wonder how Liucretsia became a nut case bitch from hell, and I'm not much better off."

Everyone stared at the captain. This was the first time he ever revealed what he had to endure. Something clicked in Eren's head. It started to make sense, now that he thought about it. He had wondered why the captain would have dark desires with Kenny, despite them both being men and family.

 _Is that why he had urges with his uncle?_

Up ahead, they heard the order from Erwin that they all keep going, don't bother engaging. Their objective was to protect the cargo, and not lose any precious supplies. Behind them, the Special Forces Squad easily handled the situation of the abnormal, and everyone was at ease. But they all knew they weren't out of the woods yet. They still had a long distance to cover.

The rest of the day continued on like this until the group approached an abandoned fortress. This was the halfway mark between Walls Maria and Rose. Erwin made the signal they were to stop here. Everyone slowed down with relief. The first half of the mission was cleared. Upon resting and securing the cargo and horses, word spread that no lives had been lost yet.

Morale picked up despite the nervousness of darkness of the night sky.

Everyone worked in shifts, however the majority couldn't sleep. Among them was Levi. His squads took notice and attempted to urge him to sleep. However, when he made it clear he wasn't going to sleep, they gave up. And honestly, the Special Forces Squad should be used to this by now, but at least they tried.

"You're not going to be by Erwin's side?" Eren stared, the only one daring to inquire about it.

"If I do that, then everyone would be hearing me scream. I don't like the idea of making everything awkward, or attract unwanted attention." Levi shrugged, as he nervously fiddled with the ring on his finger.

It was then Eren realized that he had a ring at all.

"He proposed to you?" He felt a little hurt by the sight of it, which didn't go unnoticed.

"How many times do I have to drive into your thick skull to forget about me?" Cold eyes flashed.

Both squads tensed, and for different reasons. The Special Forces Squad were afraid for Eren, and they had every reason to be afraid. They knew of his crush on the captain, and it was annoying how he always got himself cornered in the worst of times to make everything awkward. As for the Queen's Guard, this was news to them about Eren's crush, but they were more afraid of seeing the nasty side of him.

"How am I supposed to forget when you're captain in the Survey Corp?" Eren for once didn't back down.

"Not after this expedition I won't be. I'm retiring from the Survey Corp to devote more time with the Queen's Guard. I already sent in my resignation papers, so don't even start to convince me otherwise. I plan to resign alongside Erwin after this last expedition for the both of us." Levi hated telling them this news like this, but the brat had forced his hand.

"But...you've been captain for such a short amount of time." Armin stared, wide eyed.

"And I have more blood staining my hands than my years as an assassin. Do you honestly believe with how shitty my head is, that I can last much longer here? I'm already prone to meltdowns both off and on the field, the longer I remain the more chances I will lose control of my demons and I won't be able to snap back to reality. And I am not going to force Mikasa or Lavena to kill me should that happen." He countered.

Silence met him, and the atmosphere was increasingly tense. They all knew that he had a good point.

When dawn came, Levi decided to lead the Special Forces Squad while Jean lead the Queen's Guard to protect Eren. This action of him taking a risk of being on the outside didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the Survey Corp. Eyes turned to Erwin expectingly, but when the commander didn't make a fuss, no one else did either. Everyone could sense something happened between Levi and Eren, but chose not to get involved.

They had an important mission to finish.

A short time after midday, they had Wall Maria in sight. And they hadn't encountered any titans yet. Levi felt a sickening feeling, his instincts screaming at him at full force. This wasn't normal. The areas between the walls were infested by titans, so why were they suddenly gone?

His uneasiness grew when they entered Shiganshina without incident. Erwin called for a halt, sensing something was up. This felt too much like a trap. And so, he instructed that the Scouts that have been on titan alert climb the wall to keep an eye out for any possible attacks.

Levi was in the air, surveying from the buildings. Everything seemed abandoned, no sign of Reiner and his group. His heart raced, he hated feeling like a rat in a cage waiting for a trap to be sprung. The anticipation was nearly giving away into panic when he couldn't figure out exactly where and how they were to be swarmed. He didn't like the idea of being herded inside a town like cattle waiting for slaughter.

He glanced over at Erwin, and he was starting to come to the same conclusion.

"What have you guys found up there?" The commander inquired when some of the scouts were coming down from the top of the wall.

"There's signs of people here. And they were here recently, as in within the hour before we came along." Jean reported as he swooped in.

"Hange, the weapons and cargo remain here. I will be starting the move to station the majority of the Survey Corp outside the wall to ward off any oncoming titans. Have Eren transform so we can cover up that hole." Erwin instructed, earning a nod.

"I'm coming with you." Levi jumped down from the rooftop.

"You have your squads to lead, captain." Erwin didn't even bat an eye.

"Let me be selfish in the field just this once. The Special Forces Squad can handle themselves. The Queen's Guard isn't quite ready for facing the level of the Armored Titan or the Colossal. Allow me to lead them to stand guard over the back gate." Levi persisted, he wasn't going to leave Erwin out of his sight.

"The way you sound, something bad is going to happen outside the back gate." The commander caught on, he knew when the assassin's instincts were driving him to a certain area where there was danger.

"Something is about to happen. And I can't shake off the feeling that I have to be by your side." Levi lowered his voice so no one else would overhear.

"You still have the serum?" Erwin inquired in a whisper, almost leaning over.

"Yes, it's still in my pocket, why?" Levi had ensured he didn't leave Wall Rose without it.

"If you ever have to use it to save someone, don't hesitate. Just promise me one thing." Erwin paused, eyes drifting to see Hange directing everyone who weren't helping with the cargo to head back out the back gate.

"What is it?" Levi drew his attention back.

"Promise me that if you had to choose between myself and someone more capable to serve in the Survey Corp than myself, then don't choose me." Erwin stared hard into pale blue gray.

Levi felt his heart flutter in panic. This wasn't something he wanted to hear, especially during a mission.

"Erwin...why? Why are you doing this? You fall, I fall, you can't make me remain behind and be responsible for your death." Levi all about snarled, and the taller man leaned in for a brief kiss.

"It's just strange dreams plaguing me. Forgive me. Perhaps I've gone a little senile already."

 _That's a lie. That's a lie, and you know it. Senile would be Kenny._ _Just what are you hiding from me?_

"EVERYBODY RUN! THEY'RE INSIDE THE WALLS!" Armin yelled from the wall.

In an instant everyone was in motion. Levi led the Queen's Guard through the back gate as chaos ensued, the Survey Corp scrambling to get out of the immediate danger zone. Levi caught sight of the Armored Titan just before he passed through the gate, and he heard the familiar challenging roar of Eren.

However, as soon as the group that weren't going to be part of the battle in Shiganshina, the Colossal Titan appeared and clogged up the gate behind them with the use of rubble from buildings. Levi stared at it with his heart sinking. This was bad, if they couldn't be immediate help if those trapped inside needed help, then they were trapped.

"Beast Titan approaching!" Someone raised the alarm.

Immediately everyone scrambled to hide behind the buildings surrounding the back gate. Levi pulled his horse to a stop, as he quickly thought over what to do from here. He glanced around to see the fear and panic rising out of the entire Survey Corp, as well as his squad.

"It's coming with a hoard of titans behind it!" A Scout updated, peering over a rooftop.

 _Shit, we're pinned with nowhere to go and we have to fight them with barely any way to get in the air._

Levi glanced around, the buildings barely gave them enough cover. And there was no way for them to be in the air should the buildings be destroyed. Which, for a titan, destroying buildings are quite easy. He glanced from Commander Erwin to his squad, as fear gripped at his heart. He wasn't sure if he felt that his squad was better off inside Shiganshina or outside.

It hit him hard he might have just condemned his squad to death in favor of being by Erwin's side.

Levi didn't have time to feel his regret when the buildings began to crumble. Someone reported the Beast Titan wasn't going to fight them head on. Instead it was throwing pebbles and rocks their way to slowly destroy their cover. It also seemed as if the other titans weren't charging in either.

"Commander, what do we do!?"

"Sir, we can't last much longer like this! We're pinned with nowhere to run!"

 _There is one way to handle this._

Levi stared at the hand of his ring. Could he really do it? Could he sacrifice so many lives for this one chance?

He glanced up as the chaos intensified. His eyes first caught his daughter, and she caught his gaze. There was a chance they couldn't make it out of this alive. And instead of seeing fear or anger in her eyes, he saw resolve. She wasn't reluctant as she nodded at him with encouragement, knowing he had a plan.

Levi turned his gaze to Erwin. All he could see was the man's back. He was tall and proud, and despite a missing arm he was ready to charge forward without regret. It seemed as if he wanted to fight onward, instead of hiding behind crumbling buildings that were soon become nothing to prevent the Beast Titan from wiping out the huge number of the Survey Corp.

And then there would be no stopping it from reaching Eren and the few numbers inside Shiganshina.

Gulping, Levi strode towards Erwin and with his voice cracking, he spoke loud enough to catch his attention.

"I have a plan. And it will require a lot of people possibly dying for me."

Pale blue gray met deep blues that held the sky in them. There was no fear in them, much like Lavena.

"What do you have in mind?" There was no hesitation.

"I need a number of people charging on horseback towards the Beast Titan, while I lead the Queen's Guard to fight it and the other titans. If anyone who wishes not to risk their life, can remain behind. I only need just enough to distract them long enough and kill them." Levi gulped, never breaking eye contact with Erwin.

He silently tried to relay what his heart wanted.

 _Please don't lead them in the front lines. Please, love._

However, he knew in his mind what kind of man the commander was.

"I will be leading this charge. Anyone who wishes to follow may. And whoever wishes to stand behind will be given full immunity. There will be no backlash for remaining behind while your comrades charge onward, possibly to their deaths." Erwin announced for everyone to hear.

Levi closed his eyes, willing away the tears. He never cried in front of the Survey Corp, he wasn't going to start now. His squad was one matter, the rest of the Survey Corp as a whole was a different matter entirely. He pushed aside the inner turmoil of his heartstrings breaking and he opened his eyes, nearly whimpering at the sight of everyone saluting, their signal of signing up.

All of them were going to charge.

 _I am about to essentially wipe out the Survey Corp just by making them sacrifice themselves._

The only people who had better chances of surviving were the Queen's Guard and himself.

Levi focused his gaze back upon Erwin, and he felt his heart shatter.

"You fall, I fall. I am your bird, your queen in the field, and your greatest weapon. You are my sky. Without you, I have nothing left. What bird can fly without the sky to reach out to?" Levi blinked back the tears.

"You can't fly, if you never try, little bird." Erwin replied with a soft smile, allowing a moment of affection to cup the pale cheek with his hand. He always admired how soft the captain's skin was.

A single tear fell. And hating seeing the pained expression of his lover, Erwin leaned in for a kiss. It was brief, gentle, and almost like a goodbye. No, Levi was not going to allow this to be their last. He reached up and kept Erwin there, deepening it with more passion and vigor. When the other scouts began to cat wall and whistle, he pulled away.

"Erwin Fucking Smith, you better not die on me out there. Or I will find you in the afterlife and kill you again." Levi's eyes flashed with burning promise.

"I would like to see you try, love." Erwin smirked playfully.

Five minutes later the Survey Corp was assembled in formation. The Beast Titan paused in throwing rocks as it watched them curiously. Levi and the Queen's Guard remained hidden and out of sight as Erwin led the group with a roaring charge. The sight of them yelling in unison as they galloped forward with such bravery and eagerness, one would have assumed they were charging an opposing force on equal ground.

If only the enemy weren't ten meter or taller titans.

Levi urged his horse forward, and the Queen's Guard silently followed suit as they came from the side.

"Engage as you see fit. I don't expect all of us returning alive, and forgive me for condemning all of you to our possible deaths. But let me give one point clear. That fucking Beast Titan is _mine_. I will deliver the killing blow to it, as it is my hands that will be stained by the blood of our comrades." Levi snarled to them.

To prove his point, he had taken off his black jacket and tossed it to the wind. He was no captain of the Queen's Guard, or the Special Forces Squad right now. And they realized he was still back in his old gear from his days as an assassin. And they realized that he wasn't even corporal, he was simply acting of his own accord as a man gambling with everything he had left in life and ready to face Lady Death in the face.

 _Lady Death, I have delivered many to you by my hands, willingly or against my will. Do me one small favor._

He was airborne, and with a quick slice the first of many titans were down. He quickly escalated to continue up the line. And much to his glee, the Beast Titan didn't notice as the titans it came with were slaughtered.

 _If it means sacrificing myself for both of them to survive, then so be it. I will gladly accept your kiss._

Levi heard his inner demons agree with him for once, the first time they ever agreed on anything.


	24. Retaking Shiganshina Part Two

Death: There is a reason why I chose my author name _Death Can't Be Trusted_. It was sort of based off of my absolute love for _Death Note_ , but also because I wanted to be one of those authors that don't always follow happy endings. I wanted to write stories that are heart wrenching, full of love and sweetness, and hardship that make my audience feel in every chapter I have written, and then end it on a bittersweet note.

Although I am sad _Everything But Mine_ isn't my first completed work of bittersweet stories, I am glad that it is this story. When I first started this, I had no idea where to go with it, so for the most part I went with the flow until I found what I wanted to turn this into what I feel is one of my best works. I am sad for this story to end, but on the same token I am proud of myself.

I have finally finished a story. It has been years since I have accomplished such a thing, and along the way I have abandoned and deleted much of my works when I couldn't continue. I have endured a lot of hurt and pain these last few years, and that hindered me from writing and doing what I love. And somehow, I found the drive to keep going and now I find myself almost finishing a story. I'm even tearing up while writing this, for I thought that after the crushing blow of losing the flashdrive that held nearly the whole completed writings for _Everything But Mine_ and _Code Geass:_ _Fukkatsu no Lelouch_ , that I would never be able to finish a story.

And yet here I am, second to last chapter of finishing a story. Please, enjoy, and note that as you're all going to for sure cry reading this chapter, I am too. The last long break I took before picking this story back up again was deciding on how to end this story. And as Levi said, "Keep going without regret", as much as it hurts writing this, I'm going to be doing just that.

 **Chapter Twenty Four** Retaking Shiganshina Part Two

=3=

Everything happened so fast. Levi dared not ever glance at the direction of the Survey Corp charging. If he dared to look, he wouldn't be able to complete what he had set out to do. He wouldn't be able to finish what he had started if he even so much as glanced even for a second. And so, he kept his gaze solely on the Beast Titan as he drew ever closer.

 _Just a few more titans to go._

He dared not look back behind him to check on his squad. They were all so young, too young. He couldn't afford to look back, for if he saw that Lavena wasn't behind him, then he would lose his resolve. And so he focused straight ahead, and with all of his willpower he activated the portion of himself that was a titan.

His eyes burned golden as they came into focus that was not human.

Blood marks of a titan shifter flowed from his cheeks as pain seared from his eyes. Even as he kept his focus on the Beast Titan, his vision blurred. He strained his eyes to keep focus, and even as everything blurred from the corners of his vision he was still able to slice where he aimed his mark.

And still he willed his titan abilities to remain as he let out a shrilled cry of a bird when he was finally upon the Beast Titan. It finally noticed he was there, and it was too late to block as he took a swipe at the joint of shoulder and arm. He essentially severed the nerves of one of its long arms. His cuts were deep, and it would take minutes for the regeneration process to be completed.

 _Your ability to control titans won't help you now._ _I have raised the stakes just enough to take you out._

Levi was a blur of motion as he sliced all over the torso, back, anywhere where he could reach as he dodged out of reach of the other arm. He knew his squad were helping as the swung about, avoiding his path. None of them could afford a collision in the most critical moment. The seven of them were becoming too much for the Beast Titan as it slowly began to panic.

 _I might be dead before the day is done, but I'm taking you down with me._

The pain was so intense he almost lost focus. He grit his teeth as he pushed onwards, as the Beast Titan twirled around, reaching blindly with one arm after him. Just like last time, it kept its focus on him instead of his squad. Good, perhaps the seven of them just might have this chance to kill it. Capture the titan shifter be damned. This thing was too strong to be taken prisoner if it has the power to control other titans.

"What's wrong? Now that you have seven devils surrounding you, you're not so confident are you?" Levi taunted as he sliced at one of its eyes.

The Beast Titan roared in agony and fury. And Levi was smirking, eyes still burning, still bleeding.

"Earlier you looked so _delighted_ for your handiwork. Jumping up and down like that. But now is the time to face my wrath you filthy bastard. And this time, I have the weapons to kill you with." He laughed coldly.

Someone cut up one of the Beast Titan's legs, and it knelt down, unable to run at this moment. It was at the same time its remaining arm had managed to grasp Levi. He struggled against the hold, as the giant hand held him gently. Before the Beast Titan could do anything with him, Lavena swung down.

"Get your filthy hands off my father!" She roared, eyes flashing as she sliced off its hand.

Freed from its hold Levi immediately took to the air again. This time, he felt he had enough playing games. His eyes were bleeding profusely, and he was starting to feel dizzy from the loss of blood. He swung behind its head and sliced open the neck. He intentionally didn't cut the human body inside, for he had a different plan.

Levi landed behind the gasping man and held his blades to his neck. And he was right, this was the same man who tried to kidnap Eren a while back, the man riding around on the four legged titan.

"Ready to greet Lady Death?" He whispered, releasing another cold laugh as he felt the body shudder.

"You kill me, and you will regret it later." The man stated boldly.

"Does it look like I have anything left to lose? Take a good look around, you drove me to force my hand and risk losing everything. You forced an assassin to gamble with every precious bond with these people, among them a lover and a daughter. Do you believe I would have any regret spilling your blood like the pig you are?" Levi snarled, eyes burning bright golden as they bled even more.

The man stared at him, studying him.

"I do apologize for that. But I cannot allow humanity to reclaim lost territory. Humanity shouldn't even exist for the horrible experiments of creating monsters like us. I see you were also given an injection, but not the whole of it. I can sense that it is slowly breaking down on you, taking a toll on your body. I can fix it if you wish."

 _He dares make that offer after everything he have done!?_

Levi snarled, pressing the blades a little harder on the neck. No, he wasn't going to be fixed. Even if he went blind again, he would rather be broken than be fixed after forcing so many to sacrifice themselves for him.

"Nothing you can do will change my mind. You are nothing but scum to me, ready to be brought to Lady Death." He hissed, raising one of the blades for the finishing blow.

"You might want to look behind you." The man advised, and Levi snarled.

 _I will not let you slip from my grasp._

"Captain...titans coming in fast!" Jay sounded the alarm.

Finally he did turn his gaze away from the man to the horde of titans running full speed towards them. Because of his distraction he was suddenly pushed away by the Titan shifter. Levi rolled and instinctively curled his body as he fell. He landed with a hard thud on the ground, and was nearly trampled by the four legged titan as it retrieved its master.

"You're more interesting than I thought you would be. I will be looking forward meeting you again." The man said, and with that he made his titan move toward the wall.

Levi stood, as his squad surrounded him, their gazes were upon the horde of titans coming closer.

 _I can do this. I can do this on my own._

"You lot stay back unless you have no choice but to engage. I will be taking them down myself." Levi stated before he bolted to meet the horde halfway.

They stayed behind as he told them, and he flashed a smirk as he was airborne. With the skills of an assassin he used his gear expertly as he took them own one by one. Once more his eyes were straining to keep focus, his vision blurring with each second. Even so he pushed onward, even as exhausted as he was.

 _I failed. I failed at killing the Beast Titan. And I don't even know of the cost of raising the stakes were._

He was afraid to look back. He didn't want to look back. A part of him didn't want to know. And yet he had to take care of these titans to save however many lives were left. It was his resolve for having the blood of many Scouts on his hands. And he wasn't even their commander and he was the cause of this slaughter.

 _How ironic. The lover of the commander is responsible for the sacrificial lambs this time around._

He chuckled darkly at his humor. And even as titans reached out to him, he was too quick for them. Even as his sight blurred dangerously to dimness, he was relying solely upon his instincts. Despite how exhausted his body was, he didn't care. He somehow found the strength to keep going as he cut them down one by one.

 _Twenty three...or was that twenty four? I lost count._

Levi didn't care on the number anymore. He was simply reacting as he took on the horde all on his own. And just as inside Shiganshina, when those stuck inside had taken down the Colossal and Armored Titans, Levi had finished with the horde. He landed on the ground, his legs shaking. He collapsed, kneeling and hunched over as his vision became nothing but darkness.

He blinked, and a sob wracked his body. He couldn't see. He was blind once more.

 _I can't even see the damage that I have caused. Perhaps that is for the best._

His squad ran to his side, all six of them were alive. Their hearts wrenched at the sight of him. Lavena collapsed next to him and pulled him into a tight hug as she began to sob. Reluctantly he pulled away, and somehow he found his voice as he spoke the one question that was burning in his head.

"What is the damage? How many lives are lost because of me?" Levi was facing in the direction of her sobs, and everyone gasped as they came to realize he couldn't see.

"They're...They're all down. We have to check over for survivors. But they're all down." Lavena reported, her voice shaking.

"Bring me my horse. Someone come with me to the wall. The rest of you remain and aid the survivors." He left out the _if there were any survivors_. He needed them to not lose their heads right now.

"Who do you want to go with you?" Hawkins inquired as she and Lavena helped him to his feet.

"Jay bird, you're coming with me. Lavena, you are in charge temporarily. Send a green signal flare if the commander is alive. Send a red one if he is dead. If there are anymore titans coming our way, send off a black flare." He instructed, flinching as the twins began to whistle for the horses.

"What if he is in critical condition?" Lavena inquired.

"Then send off a yellow."

A few minutes later his horse was brought to him. He swung up and offered a hand to Jay, who carefully joined in behind him. Together they worked on directing the dappled gray towards the wall. When they cleared the area of not trampling over bodies, Levi clicked his tongue and squeezed his legs and with a snort his mount burst into a gallop.

"Any flares yet?" He inquired, he hated relying on other people for sight.

"No. Not yet. I don't even see anyone on top of the wall, either. Everything went quiet at the same time." Jay reported, not liking the silence after a huge battle.

 _Which means they either succeeded or they failed_ _inside the town._

As they neared the wall, Levi used his gear to become airborne as he scaled the wall. Jay followed after him, amazed the captain could still use the gear without sight. Even so he kept close by in case the man was to fall. The pair made it to the top without incident. They stopped to peer over the damages inside Shiganshina.

"What do you see?" He inquired, face scrunching at the smell of burning flesh and powder.

"It seems they managed to take down both the Armored and Colossal Titans. However, I can't see the exact number of survivors aside from the Special Forces Squad." Jay explained, and suddenly he gasped.

"What is it? What's happening?" Levi was tense, and then he heard it.

He heard the familiar sound of the four legged titan as it made its way towards the wall. It paused for a few seconds, before continuing its way. It went for a different side of the wall than where they were, and Levi debated whether to intervene or not. But before he could make a decision it escaped.

"It didn't take Eren, did it?" Levi inquired.

"No, but it did take someone who looked like the Armored Titan." Jay relayed.

"So it rescued Reiner instead of Bertoldt? Interesting. Help me down, we need to regroup with the others."

Behind them, he heard the familiar sound of a signal going off. Levi didn't bother turning around, as he couldn't see, so why should he? He didn't even have to ask for what color when Jay gave him the answer.

"Yellow. They found Commander Erwin." He said, and there was no lie in his voice.

Levi never felt so relieved in his life. He felt another wave of exhaustion hit him, and he barely had the strength to stand. A hand steadied him, and he didn't even bother pushing it away. Instead he leaned into Jay for support as he breathed a sigh of relief. Even if he was in critical condition, at least he wasn't dead.

"Are you all right, captain? If you're exhausted, you don't have to go down there." Jay had never seen him like this.

"I will be fine. Just, give me a moment. We'll be making our way down shortly." Levi fought off the waves of dizziness. Never had he ever felt so tired and ready to sleep for the next ten years.

Five minutes later they found the Special Forces Squad and Hange, the only survivor of their squad.

"Who died?" Levi deadpanned, sensing the heaviness in the air.

"It's Armin...he's in critical condition." Hange leaned closer to have a better look at his eyes.

"Before you ask, yes, I'm blind. I pushed passed my limits with the titan gene. I don't know if this is permanent or not." Levi jerked away when hands tried to touch his face.

"Easy, just let me have a good look. I may not be a doctor, but I have a good understanding of the body." Hange spoke gently, and reluctantly he allowed their hands to touch him.

He felt a hand on his chin to keep him in place, while the other opened his lids a little more to expose more of his eye. The hands switched to the other one. And after a few minutes one hand drew away, and he could hear shuffling of fabric as if Hange was doing weird motions in front of his eyes. Since all he could see was darkness, he stared forward blankly.

"I am going to have a specialist take a better look at you when we return. By the way, do you have the serum on you? We might need to use it to save Armin. I wanted to originally use it on Reiner, for he was in a near death state, but then he was taken away." Hange explained the situation here.

"Can we wait a few minutes? We're not sure on the state of Erwin yet. All I know is that he's critical."

"What happened out there?" Hange changed their tune at the sound of Erwin being in critical condition.

"I sacrificed the whole Survey Corp to charge at the Beast Titan while I lead the Queen's Guard to take it down."

Stunned silence met him, either because of the suicidal plan he had come up with, or the fact he said it so casually as if he were talking about the weather. And they all knew he wouldn't joke about something that serious. And Jay not saying a word to contradict him was the final confirmation.

"...Why?" Jean was the first to recover, his voice shaking.

"We were pinned against a wall, no way inside, and the buildings we were using for cover were crumbling. It was either wait to fight it on even ground on what little buildings left, or surprise it. What I didn't count on was all of them signing up to charge. So save your lectures, for I am in no mood, the voices in my head are already screaming as it is."

"And what can you do being blind?" Jean challenged, and suddenly Levi had him on the ground, with his boot pressing down on his chest.

"I was born blind, I was blind until I was ten. I am still just as deadly without sight. Unlike the rest of you, I don't need sight in order to kill." Levi smirked, his voice cold.

"Captain Levi, surrender your weapons. You can keep the gear, but not the blades or any knives on your person. And while you're at it, hand over the serum." Hange ordered.

"I will gladly hand over the blade, but not the serum. I believe Erwin entrusted only myself to use it on who I see fit. And I don't believe he is dead, so you're not overruling his orders shitty glasses." He scoffed as he released the blades of his gear, and undid the straps that held the extras and let them drop to the ground.

He reached into his pants pockets and pulled out Talon and Kenny's knife.

"Mikasa, I'm trusting you to safeguard these. Don't lose them. I don't plan on replacing Talon anytime soon, and that other one can't be found anywhere else." He held them out, and he felt her hand as she took them.

"What's the significance of the other one?" She inquired curiously.

"That used to belong to Kenny." He stated matter of fact, and he cautiously moved away from Jean.

"You're still attached to that psycho? I mean I know he was your uncle but..." Connie trailed off when blind eyes stared into his soul with cold dark and yet blank gaze.

"He might have been the world's most shittiest asshole, but if it weren't for him I wouldn't be alive. And where do you think would have happened to the Survey Corp without my help? Dead. All of you, including Eren."

The truth hit them hard, and inside their hearts they all knew. Even though he was a dangerous assassin, he was still one of them. He gave up everything he had to stay with them, and he just gambled with the very same thing he gave up his old life for. It was unfair to judge him when he was possibly on the verge of losing Erwin.

"Eren, do you think you can transform one more time?" Hange turned to the Titan shifter.

"Yeah, I have enough strength left for one more go." Eren spoke with a hoarse voice.

"Clear the rubble of the back gate first, then seal the outer gate. From there, we can figure out who needs the serum as we place the injured on the rooftop where Armin and Bertoldt are." The commander formed the plan.

Thirty minutes later, after the rubble had been cleared and Eren sealed the other gate with his crystalized form, all of them gathered on a single rooftop as the Queen's Guard approached. They were all on horseback, and brought with them only two survivors of the charge, as well as what few horses that didn't die.

"Little bird, why are you without weapons?" Erwin spoke curiously, the first to speak.

Levi blinked, turning his face to the direction of the commander's voice. He sensed a bit of pain in the man's, but he couldn't smell any blood over the scent of burning flesh. He frowned, confused.

"The worst I have is a concussion, a broken leg, and a gaping hole in my shoulder. But it's small, smaller than your bullet wound you took for me a while back. Other than that, I'm not too bad." Erwin elaborated, as the Queen's Guard helped him down from the horse.

 _You're hiding something from me. You're lying._

"...Then why are you lying to me? I may not be able to see, but that doesn't mean I don't know when someone is lying to my face." Levi cleared his throat.

"When you put it that way, I guess I can't really hide anything from you. I suppose the others should know as well." He answered, his voice sounded so tired, so exhausted.

"What are you saying, sir?" Hange inquired as they helped the Queen's Guard lift Erwin up onto the roof.

"I don't have much time left of this world. I can feel it. And I have been forewarned in dreams these last few weeks." Erwin stated, and an arm reached for the short captain, who eagerly sat down next to him.

Levi didn't know what to say. He was too stunned, and even as his demons screamed in fury and sorrow, he remembered the promise the commander tried to make him swear to before they were attacked by the Beast Titan. And suddenly it all made sense. He had dreams of his death, and he had come to terms with it.

"And you're ready to accept death without even considering what that means to everyone else?" Levi snapped.

 _This isn't fair. I made the final sacrifice of losing my eyesight, and this is what I get?_

"Little bird, forgive me. But I am tired. I have led many expeditions, led many to their deaths. And even though I never got to see beyond the walls, I at least got to see the beginning of my dream being started. Let this city be my final resting place with the others who have charged with me." Erwin wrapped his arm around the tiny form, his chin resting on the head.

 _There is no changing his mind._

"What...what can I do without my sky? And now I'm blind, with the chances of my sight not coming back." Levi slumped his shoulders in defeat, his voice breaking.

"You'll find your sky again, I'm sure. Just promise me you'll stick around a little longer for Lavena and everyone else. They still need you." Erwin kissed his brow, and it took a lot for Levi not to crumble.

"...I promise." He gulped, finding it difficult to breathe.

He handed the serum over to Hange, as he was afraid he couldn't inject it properly. And they all cleared the area as Armin transformed into a deformed titan and ate Bertoldt. The screams and pleas would forever haunt them for the rest of their lives. Hange moved the injured to the top of the wall, overlooking the back gate. As they settled Sasha, an unconscious Armin, Erwin was placed beside them.

"Can...can we snuggle?" Levi bit his lip, and a weak arm pulled him down, and his head was now on a broad chest.

"Get some rest, captain. I will leave the Queen's Guard to watch over the injured. I will be taking the Special Forces Squad to that basement Eren believes where the answer lie about titans." Hange spoke with pain, knowing that the commander didn't have a lot of time.

He didn't respond, instead Levi forced his eyes closed tightly as he listened to the heartbeat. He heard them leave, and he couldn't even care less. On the other side Lavena cuddled up next to Erwin as she silently cried, one arm reaching over to his hand. Erwin placed his hand over theirs, and together they drifted to sleep.

Levi awoke the second the heart stopped beating many hours later.


	25. Bittersweet Victory

Death: And here is the last chapter of this story. And here I am already getting ideas for a fucking sequel. That's right, a sequel. I didn't originally plan for a sequel, and yet I already have one starting to bug my brain.

This...even if you read it and don't enjoy it, I hope it's at least a decent ending.

 **Chapter Twenty Five** Bittersweet Victory

=3=

Eren didn't know how to feel or think. He was saddened for how Erwin died, and he felt for Levi, too. On the other hand, he still had Armin. But then they had lost one hundred and ninety nine members of the Survey Corp with one fell swoop in this expedition. So it didn't even feel like a victory.

His eyes drifted to the captain, who had undergone a complete meltdown the previous night. He lost control of his demons, and not even Mikasa and Lavena together could match his strength. In the end Eren had to intervene as well, and together the three of them had subdued the captain and restrained him.

He didn't calm down until they were ready for the ride back home. He swore and spat at anyone who remotely drew near him or spoke to him. He even bit Hange when they were bandaging his eyes. When Armin first woke up, he had some of his senses return long enough to assure him that it wasn't his fault.

But Armin still felt horrible, everyone could tell. Even so, he never complained.

When dawn came, they all gathered the few remaining horses, and one carriage to carry Sasha, Hange undid the restraints on the captain when he insisted he wasn't going to be in the wagon. He was too proud to enter the cities on the wagon, blind or not, he was riding in on his horse. And since then he hasn't acted out since.

Hange led them until they reached Wall Rose. It was almost nighttime when they arrived, and the only reason they made it at all was due to the fact they were so few in number and had only one wagon. Even with it, there was no heavy cargo to slow them down, and so they made the trip without any sign of titans.

Their return was met with cheers, despite how low in numbers that have returned. They were paraded all the way back to Wall Sina, all the way until they reached the royal palace. There, they were greeted with a teary eyed Queen Historia, who welcomed them home and offered all of them sanctuary in the palace as they recovered.

That night, Eren couldn't sleep. And so he curiously wandered the hallways, anxious. He almost ran into the queen, and he was a blushing mess to see her, when she had just finished with a bath it would seem. She was clothed, but she had a towel wrapped around her hair, and she didn't seem to mind him wandering around.

"If you feel anxious, you're welcome to the men's bath. I've found bathing helps soothe the aches and pains, as well as the stress." She smiled affectionately at him.

"You sure? I don't want to impose. Hey, are you saying I stink?" Eren mock glared, and she giggled.

"Actually, I was just informed that Captain Levi has been in the men's bath for hours. He's been alone, and he might use some company. I'm also afraid of his mind state. I really don't want to wake up to him dead." Historia lowered her gaze, she hated asking others to help someone she wanted to help. But seeing as she wasn't allowed in the men's bathing room, she didn't have a choice.

"You care for him, don't you?" Eren blinked, tilting his head.

"He was the one who risked it all to remain with us and then...for that to happen...I don't know what to do or say to help him. From what I've heard from everyone, he's been silent since you guys arrived. It's not fair for someone to sacrifice so much only to have one of the most important people die on him." She resisted the urge to cry.

 _Everyone feels for him, but don't even know how to show him support. He never did allow anyone too close aside from Erwin. Hange would be a close second, but I doubt he would want to see them._

"Why ask me? He doesn't even like my presence most of the time." Eren shrugged.

"Because after everything we've all been through, you're just like him. I mean, not in personality, but in life situations. Both of you were brought into the Survey Corp at the same time, as prisoners. And yet both of you proved your worth time and time again, even if there were a few setbacks where everyone doubted you both. And when his loyalty was called into question, you were always the one stood up for him first."

 _Huh...never would have thought of it like that._

"But he rarely stands up for me." Eren brushed off her praises.

"He had a different way of showing it. In the field, he always ensured that, along with you being kept alive, he increased the chances of Mikasa and Armin to survive. And he went against his own wishes to save Erwin in order to save Armin." Historia pointed out.

"Only because Erwin made him promise not to use the serum on him." He felt that this was going nowhere.

"And he kept that promise. Essentially, he gave up his happiness for you to be happy. If that isn't a way of someone loving another person, then I don't know what is. It may not be the same love you feel for him, but he cherishes you. And I think it's because the two of you have been seen as monsters from the get go."

 _She does have a point..._

"How am I supposed to show my support? I don't understand. He's never let me that close."

"Well, talking is a good start, I would assume." Historia shrugged, and began to make her way to her bedroom. "Anyways, I have to go to bed and rest. Long day tomorrow on reading over everything. As well as the funeral ceremony. Hope things go well between you and Levi."

Eren stood there a few seconds, debating. With a sigh, he made his way towards the men's baths. He walked in tentatively, suddenly feeling nervous. He wanted to leave and avoid the awkwardness, but the captain already heard his presence.

"Who is it and what do you want?" Levi didn't even have his usual snap in his voice.

"Hey, captain." Eren greeted shyly as he peered the corner to see the giant marble tub carved in the middle of the floor. At the edge closest to the exit leaned the captain with his back turned to him. All Eren could see was part of his upper shoulders and head.

"What do you want, brat?" He didn't even bother to turn around, probably still blind as a bat.

"What, I can't have a bath to wash away the gross sweat and blood?" Eren defended a little too harshly.

"Point. Why did you wait so long before now? It's late at night." Levi did turn a little, his eyes blank.

"Maybe I'm a little shy? I don't like bathing in front of too many people." Eren wanted to punch himself.

 _Damn it, this got awkward real fast._ _Keep it together, Eren._

"What, the brat insecure about himself? Is it your size? Despite you able to transform into a fifteen meter titan you have a small dick then?" Levi snorted in all seriousness.

"I am well endowed, thank you very much, captain!" Eren snapped, and then blushed like a tomato.

Silence filled the bathroom.

"Er...I'm sorry! I just...I didn't mean...ugh, I'll just leave now, this got way too awkward." He turned to leave.

"Eren, wait. I'm sorry. Please stay." Levi turned all the way around, and Eren felt his chest tighten at the sight of how scared the captain actually was. His face was contorted, eyebrows knitted together and him biting his lower lip, eyes unable to see but that didn't mean emotions swirled in them.

"...Why?" Eren found himself inquiring.

"Because you're the first to ever approach me since we got back. Everyone has been avoiding me as if I'm going to blow up and attack them. I just...I just want someone to talk to." Levi was suddenly feeling shy and he sank in the water until only his head was seen peering over the edge.

And the confession won Eren over. Watching him being shy wasn't part of what had him decide to stay. Since Levi couldn't see, the Titan shifter stripped down and joined in. He sighed at the warm water soaking away his aches and pains. Historia was right when bathing helped take away the stress.

"So, you said you wanted someone to talk to. What's up?" Eren was the first to break the silence.

"...Was it wrong of me to let him die?" Levi quivered, fighting back the tears.

He expected a question like that. Even so, Eren was caught off guard. He carefully considered his words.

"No, not if he accepted death. He had you and Lavena next to him, and I guess now is a good time as any to tell you he died with a smile on his face. He looked...so happy, content, with lying there, with you by his side."

Eren studied the captain as he thought over everything.

"I just...I wanted to be selfish. Is that wrong of me? After giving up almost everything, was it wrong of me to want to be selfish after all I've been through? I need to know, I have so much guilt."

"No, it's not wrong of you. You had every right to be selfish. And I am sorry. When you said you weren't handing over the serum, I wanted to rise up and fight you. I felt so angry, and for a moment I didn't understand what you had said until Hange inquired what happened out there. Was it really your idea?" Eren hated asking, but that plan of the whole Survey Corp charging in would sound like Erwin's plan.

"It was entirely my plan. But I could tell he wanted to do something along those lines. That man always had to have some form of control, and if he was going to die he didn't want to die cowering before the Beast Titan."

They sat in silent as they recalled the events. After several minutes, Eren couldn't fight it any longer. He moved closer and without even asking for permission he wrapped his arms around the tiny form. At first the captain tensed, and an arm was raised as if to push him away, but Eren spoke.

"If you ever need someone to cry on, I'm here. It's okay to cry."

The words shocked Levi enough he didn't push him away. And then after a moment Eren felt the tears against his shoulder. After the first initial tears came the heart wrenching sobs, and it took a lot of willpower from the Titan shifter not to cry with him. He had already cried a lot earlier, and now it was the captain's turn. He knew the man bottled everything up, and after everything that happened, he knew he couldn't hold it all in.

Levi clung to him like a lifeline as he cried his heart out, and Eren was content to just hold him.

Some time later, the captain fell asleep. Embarrassed, Eren carried him out of the bath and wrapped him up with a towel. Despite how red his face was, he made quick work of drying him down, afraid of the captain catching a cold. Eren then dried himself and quickly dressed, silently debating whether or not to do the same for the captain.

In the end he settled with just the pants and not the shirt, and carried the rest of his close under one arm as he carried the sleeping captain to his room. Since he didn't know where the captain's bedroom was at the palace, he opted to give up his own for the night. Eren had planned to find Armin's or Mikasa's room to sleep, but as soon as he placed the captain on the bed, one of his arms pulled him down.

"Captain...?" Eren whispered, his face deep red and he was so glad it was dark.

"Just this once, brat. You're warm." Levi mumbled before drifting off again.

After a few minutes to be sure he was asleep, Eren tried to get up. But the arm around his middle wouldn't budge. Instead it tightened, and still asleep the captain snuggled his head into his chest. Eren sighed in defeat and wrapped an arm around the captain as he struggled to fall asleep and fighting his damned hormones.

 _He just lost his love, I'm not taking advantage._

Somehow Eren drifted off to sleep. It was the best sleep he had in ages. When he awoke, the captain had already left. He sighed, but forced back the hurt in his chest. He didn't want anything awkward between them anyway, so he set out for the day with a chipper smile, there was a lot of work needed to be done now that the Survey Corp had lost a great number of Scouts.

It took a while for the captain to be seen again, for the sight of him became scarce. And after he started coming around again he allowed a doctor to examine his eyes. It seemed permanent, and Hange took samples of his blood for later. And slowly Eren saw more of the captain, drilling the Queen's Guard like usual routine. Despite being blind, he could still put up a good fight and somehow knew exactly what was going on around him. In fact he became even more hyper aware of his surroundings.

Even though he had turned in his resignation papers before the expedition, he asked for them to be revoked. Since there was still the possibility of the titan gene kicking in to save his eyes again, Commander Hange allowed it. And together, Hange and Levi became the faces the public admired for their bravery in retaking Wall Maria, securing humanity lost territory and restoring hope.

Eren had also become popular, if not more so than the two leaders. He didn't know how to take to the sudden fame, for he had been seen as a monster by the majority of the populace. By avoiding his fans he turned in for the captain to assign him chores or to be an add in for the training of the Queen's Guard.

He saw to his delight how close the captain grew fond of his daughter again. He even caught sight of him giving her a necklace that glinted silver and seemed quite old. She wore it proudly, and never afraid to punch someone in the face if someone commented how feminine it made her appear despite her attitude.

Word went around quickly about the captain's ring, the ring Erwin proposed to him with. It didn't take long for the public to figure out who had earned his heart when his daughter's name change became final a few months later. And around that same time, the possessions Erwin left behind in his will were finally granted to everyone named.

His horses were left to Captain Levi, as well as everything that was left in his office. His house, which was more of a manor inside the inner city, was left for the Queen's Guard as their new headquarters. His money, which he barely touched since he joined the military, was divided evenly between Levi, Lavena, Hange, Eren, Armin and Mikasa. And then the rest were donated to the Survey Corp.

Hange made use of the money given to them personally to fund for research, while the funds for the Survey Corp were used carefully to get better supplies and touch up the headquarters outside the inner city, which has become the permanent home for the Scouts. Eren and his friends didn't know what to do with all the money, so they opted to donate it all to the Survey Corp.

Hange settled to taking only sixty percent from all three, so they could save the rest. It was then they heard wind of Captain Levi using the money to restore the Ackerman House, even adding stables to move the horses he had just acquired alongside his own pregnant mare and gelding. With nothing better to do in the winter months, the whole Survey Corp pitched in to help with the repairs and the building process.

Everyone but Commander Hange, as they were too busy recruiting more members, but they stopped by every once in a while to see how the process went. Eren couldn't believe in the state the house was in, but he was happy to see what few Scouts were left pitching in to help. Even the Queen's Guard volunteered, and gradually with the combined efforts the house was starting to come around.

When it came to the basement however, the captain ordered it to be sealed shut. He made sure no one ever stepped foot in there, and to everyone it felt as if he was trying to bury a part of his dark past behind him. Even though Eren was curious, he didn't want to know what horrors were down there since this house used to be owned by Kenny.

Before spring rolled around, the house and stables were finished. Everyone celebrated with elated success. Once the horses were brought in and new furniture placed inside the house, Levi hosted a small party. Someone spiked the drinks with strong alcohol that didn't have a scent, so everyone went wild.

Eren didn't remember anything that night. But the next morning he woke up with his head pounding and naked, next to a warm body. Eren scrambled away upon seeing the still sleeping naked captain, quickly putting on his clothes before running out of the house forgetting his boots. Whether Levi remembered that night or not, he made no indication. And he was too angry when he found out Jean had slept with his daughter and about near killed him.

The knowledge from the books from the basement and Eren's memories of the previous titan that had turned his father were never made public. For the time being, they were focusing on figuring out more of the origin of titans as well as eliminating the titans between the walls. Strangely, there have been no sightings of the Armored or Beast Titans. And even Ylmir hasn't been seen either.

Things were starting to look up for the Survey Corp as more joined up despite the huge loss of numbers overshadowing the success of retaking Shiganshina and securing Wall Maria. Commander Hange led successful expeditions with hardly any loss of life as they took care of the titans trapped between Walls Maria and Rose. By the end of summer and almost upon the anniversary of retaking Shiganshina, humanity was almost ready to expand outside Wall Rose.

It was around this time that Captain Levi began to act strange.

He would often space out, forget where he was and even forget names. Sometimes he was found wandering around lost, confused as his blindness hindered him from figuring out where he was. Eren often heard Hange debating whether or not to put the captain on leave for a while, but he always snapped out of his daze and was back to normal for several days on end.

However, the week leading up to the anniversary, left everyone scared.

The episodes happened more frequently, and somehow he was found standing on the edge of Wall Rose a few times. Wall Garrison guards became uneasy whenever they catch him standing silently close to the edge, and General Pixis ordered to increase the number of shifts to prevent him from getting up there. But despite this he somehow found a way to slip through, and often didn't snap out of it to the point he was tackled or pulled away from the edge just when he was about to take a leap of faith in his dazed state.

Before Hange could order him to be detained for the benefit of his wellbeing he disappeared without trace on the day of exactly one year since they reclaimed Shiganshina. The anniversary of the death of Erwin and a large number of Scouts. He disappeared out of thin air, and Queen Historia had Survey Corp, Military Police, even Wall Garrison search for him with the Queen's Guard leading the investigation.

Even after searching all of the cities, towns, even the Underground City, there was no sign of Captain Levi.

Eren wasn't the only one panicking. Over the past year everyone had grown fond of Levi, and with how his mental stability had started to decline everyone was worried. Several times even civilians joined in on the search when the countryside was searched thoroughly. Strangely, the only sightings anyone managed to discover were the Beast Titan in the distance beyond Wall Rose.

It never attacked anyone, but its familiar figure and hairy body was enough to identify Zeke. As time went on, it became apparent that the Beast Titan might have had a part to play in his disappearance. Hange came to this conclusion when the Queen's Guard remembered how in the previous year, the man who was the Beast Titan had said he was looking forward to meeting Captain Levi again. And since he had been able to control Levi once, Hange was beginning to suspect Zeke had been trying to do it again, which would explain the captain's odd behavior.

However, when winter came upon them, Hange couldn't risk leading expeditions outside Wall Rose to fight the Beast Titan head on. And when the rains came, the sightings became scarce until there was no sign whatsoever. Eren tried to use his ability to control titans over and over to bring the captain back to the wall. But no matter how many times he stood on the wall, or how long he stood there, it was no use.

Soon winter gave away to spring, and then spring gave away to summer.

Commander Hange began to increase the number of expeditions in the search for the Beast Titan. And with each expedition, Eren had the burning hope rise in his chest as he hoped they would finally have some answers. He wasn't the only one to regain hope, as the Survey Corp surged with excitement each time they burst through the gate and ventured forth in the hopes of success.

 _Just you wait, Zeke. We're going to find you, and you're going to pay for everything you've done._

Eren silently promised, eyes burning with heated rage. He glanced around at everyone. Mikasa, now captain of the Special Forces Squad, was up front. Despite being torn between the Survey Corp and the Queen's Guard, Jean and Sasha had made it to join them this time around, despite Horse Face being named captain of the Queen's Guard. Queen Historia had refused the Queen's Guard partake in anymore expeditions, even if it was for the search for the Beast Titan, their only lead to finding Captain Levi.

Even so, it was probably enough for only Jean and Sasha to be part of the expeditions without the help of the others. Queen Historia trusted the Scouts enough to find the missing captain that she didn't need to risk losing her guard when they were needed in the cities to investigate kidnappings of children. These days the Queen's Guard had their hands full.

 _Despite the length of time, we're all eager to find you again, captain. Dead or alive, we will find you._

Eren hoped with all his heart that the captain was alive.

=3=

Death: Yeah, I have decided. Sequel in the planning, maybe start the works in like, soon. Like maybe having the first chapter up later this week. Oh wait, it's the weekend, isn't it? Damn I lost track of days. Okay then, the upcoming week it is then.

And yes I ended it there just to fuck with you guys. Good news is, Levi ain't gonna be dead. That's all I'm spoiling you all with about the sequel, everything else are little hints here and there throughout this chapter to get the ball rolling on what will be coming in the sequel.

So, please leave a review my lovelies.


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